The main Today tab and the "You Might Also Like" section at the bottom of individual app listings have been added to the App Store.
Several prominent developers have complained about distasteful ads for gambling apps that appeared in their own App Store listings outside of their control. The issue was highlighted in a post by the editor-in-chief of Mac stories.
Now my app’s product page shows gambling ads, which I’m really not OK with. Apple shouldn’t be OK with it, either. The App Store has corrupted such a great company so deeply. They make so much from gambling and manipulative IAPs that they don’t even see the problem anymore. https://t.co/MnNlf7k0kT — Marco Arment (@marcoarment) October 25, 2022
With Apple’s recent changes to ads on the App Store, your product pages may now show ads for gambling apps. One of my product pages just did that 😞 pic.twitter.com/CjbrXpajX0 — Simon B. Støvring (@simonbs) October 25, 2022
I'm not ok with my app's product page showing gambling ads. It shouldn't be okay with Apple as well.
Apple gives advertisers the option to have their ads shown in different app categories than their own, so that gambling ads can be seen in listings for unrelated apps.
Some are accusing Apple of being greedy and moving away from policies that the company upheld under Steve Jobs after seeing gambling ads in the App Store. Apple makes money from both the ad placement and the cut of in-app purchases.
It is really sad to me that Apple needs to start taking Casino Game Ad Money in order to make their line go up for the shareholders. When Steve introduced iAds and the whole pitch was, "These ads aren't garbage, you'll like these ads." This department shouldn't exist at all, imho https://t.co/VHOeryW5Ro — Cabel (@cabel) October 25, 2022
Can you imagine having $48.2 billion cash on hand and YET still thinking "ah yes, those House of Fun Casino ads will grow our bottom line, let's do it" pic.twitter.com/j1k6WT8i2H — Federico Viticci (@viticci) October 26, 2022
Apple is facing accusations of anticompetitive behavior because it allows apps to run ads in other apps' listings. The ads are a way of increasing the effective app tax rate, forcing developers to buy ads on their own app pages in order to avoid that others steer customers away from there.
Apple just sent all developers an email that "Today tab and product page campaigns start October 25." It's another means of increasing the effective app tax rate, forcing developers to buy ads on their own app pages in order to avoid that others steer customers away from there. — Florian Mueller (@FOSSpatents) October 21, 2022
Mark Gurman said in August that Apple wanted to triple its advertising revenue to $10 billion a year. The Apple Maps app will be getting search result ads next year, according to Gurman.
We contacted Apple and asked if the company would tighten its rules around the ads. If we hear back, we'll change this story.
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