Apple faces backlash on gambling ads abusing new App Store ad-placements
App developers have criticised Apple for allowing new ad placements on the iOS App Store to promote gambling products.
This week, the tech giant rolled-out changes to the layout of the App Store made to feature more ad-placements for advertisers.
The move has divided opinion within the developer community, as many believe Apple to be changing the layout of the App Store to favour advertising over user ratings.
The revamped layout features the new ad-placements of a ‘Today Tab’ and a ‘You Might Also Like’ ad-listings section displayed at the bottom of each product page.
Explaining the changes, Apple detailed: “With a Today Tab ad, your app can appear prominently on the front page of the App Store — making it some of the first content users see when they begin their App Store visit.”
For the You Might Also Like ad-listing sections, Apple noted: “Ads appear at the top of the list to users who have scrolled to the bottom of relevant product pages, actively researching apps and getting information to help them decide whether to download. Your ad can run across all relevant app categories, or you can refine the categories where it runs.”
However, the launch of the new ad-placements caused controversy as developers complained that ads for gambling were featured in the ‘You Might Also Like’ ad-listing for non-gambling apps.
Apple news source and user community, MacRumours, cited complaints by developers, unhappy at gambling adverts surfacing beneath their app reviews.
Taking to Twitter, developers pointed out that gambling ads had featured on listings for problem gambling treatment and support apps.
They’re on the bottom of listings for gambling addiction recovery apps! pic.twitter.com/q7Pank1gXL
— Jon (@hot_doggin_jon) October 26, 2022
The troubled ad-placements are likely down to Apple allowing advertisers to publish ads across non-relevant product listings, which allows for age-restricted apps to be promoted throughout all sections of the App Store.
At present Apple has made no comment regarding ad-placement complaints. In the summer, Bloomberg reported that Apple targets tripling its advertising revenue to $10 billion per year across its digital platforms.
Changes to the App Store are regarded as an easy win for Apple, forcing developers to increase their advertising budgets to promote apps to audiences.
Source: SBC News
