The App Store’s new ad placements allow developers to advertise their apps outside of their categories, but they aren’t happy with the change.
Apple recently rolled out new App Store ad placements on the iPhone, allowing developers to advertise in more places on the App Store. This included advertisements on the Today tab and the “You might also like” section at the bottom of specific app listings.
After several complaints from prominent developers about shady gaming ads appearing on the platform, Apple decided to suspend ads related to gaming and a few other categories from App Store pages. We’ve detailed the whole situation below, so keep reading.
Apple has introduced more ads on the App Store
Apple recently announced in an email to developers that it would introduce app-related ads in the main Today tab of the App Store and in the “You May Also Like” section at the bottom of app listings. individual.
These ads were launched on October 25, 2022 in all countries except China, and feature a blue background and an “Ad” icon.
This is the first time that developers will be able to run ads in the Today tab, which previously only displayed content curated by the App Store’s editorial staff.
The problem with App Store ads
With more ads appearing on the iPhone, Apple is allowing advertisers to show their ads in different app categories than their own app’s category, allowing gaming apps to appear in the list of unrelated apps. .
Many developers reported it within hours of the change while complaining about nasty ads for gambling and other unrelated apps appearing in their own App Store listings beyond their control.
Other developers noted that many of the advertisements appearing under their own apps were shady and not something established companies would like to associate with their products.
The game has always been a controversial topic on the App Store as many users and developers have found the category predatory for users, especially those recovering from an old addiction. The practice is either highly regulated or completely illegal in different countries, so we’re curious to see how Apple monitors advertising for such apps in different countries.
Florian Mueller, a legal expert, also notes that ads on an app’s listing are essentially another way to increase the app’s effective tax rate, as famous developers will be forced to buy ads on their own application pages to ensure that competitors can drive customers away. Of the.
Apple suspends gambling ads after outcry
Unsurprisingly, just a few hours later, Apple decided to suspend ads related to gaming and a few other categories after complaints started.
In an official statement to MacRumors, Apple said:
We’ve suspended ads related to gambling and a few other categories on App Store product pages.
We don’t know if the pause is only temporary or permanent, and we haven’t yet seen what policy Apple is adopting on in-game ads appearing in unrelated categories on the App Store.
Has Apple pushed its ads too far?
Apple will keep the new ad placements in the App Store, but the question arises: is Apple losing the big picture? Apart from the developers, many users are also unhappy with this change, as they expect a higher quality (ad-free) product from Apple.
On the other hand, Apple has made it clear that it intends to increase its advertising revenue, despite the company already being one of the richest and most profitable in the world. The company also plans to introduce search results ads or keyword-targeted ads in Apple Maps next year.
It will be interesting to see what Apple does next and how it plans to win back developer trust with its advertising system.
