Apple faces backlash due to Casino ads on App Store product pages, takes it down
On October 25, Apple started displaying more advertisements at the bottom of app listings and in the Today tab on the App Store. After the ads went online, multiple developers complained about getting gambling ads under their “You Might Also Like” section when they had never installed any of that application.
Marco Arment, one of the developers, posted a screenshot on Twitter showing gambling advertisements on the App Store page for his podcast app Overcast. Other developers reported having the same issue and clarified that they weren’t okay with casino ads on their product pages. As a result, Apple has told MacRumors that it has paused the ads related to gambling and a few other categories on App Store product pages. However, it is unknown when Apple will resume the service.
MacRumors noted that people had criticized Apple for serving casino ads as a whole and not just because they are within app listings. Florian Mueller, FOSS Patents blog, argued that by putting ads in app pages, Apple forces developers to buy those ad spaces, as competitors could use them and take potential customers away if they don’t purchase them.
Apple has sold ads in the App Store for years, but the ads space in the Today tab is limited to a curated list of recommendations from Apple’s editorial team. Meanwhile, the “You Might Also Like” section contained suggestion cards for similar apps, where ads display at the bottom of listings. In addition, since Apple allows advertisers to target categories different than their own, casino ads can show up just about anywhere on the App Store.
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