Peely the Banana makes its debut in Apple vs Epic fight

In defense of its App Store’s developer fees and strict rules, Apple has been touting its efforts to keep offensive content and security threats away from its iOS devices.

Agent Peely is an ax-wielding banana action figure in Fortnite who, like other characters, can be dressed in various costumes, known in the game as skins. (Reddit)

Apple is trying to show a judge that it cares more than Epic Games about policing objectionable content on apps -- which is how the companies got into a fight Monday over a “naked banana”.

In defense of its App Store's developer fees and strict rules, Apple has been touting its efforts to keep offensive content and security threats away from its iOS devices.

After an attorney for the iPhone maker last week grilled the general manager of Epic's game store over some of the risque content available on the game maker's marketplace, the conversation with Epic's marketing manager on the witness stand turned to Agent Peely, an ax-wielding banana action figure in Fortnite who, like other characters, can be dressed in various costumes, known in the game as skins. 

The lawyer displayed an image of Peely clad in a tuxedo, telling the judge that Apple thought “it was better to go with the suit instead of the naked banana, because we are in federal court right now”.

Epic's attorney then sought to dress down Apple for suggesting that Peely without a suit was somehow “inappropriate”. She asked Epic marketing director Matthew Weissinger if there was anything unbecoming about a naked Peely. “It's just a banana, ma'am,” Weissinger said.