Filed under: Software, Apple, iPhone
Apple puts limits on location-based advertising in the App Store
Apple's excited about mobile advertising (and it certainly seems like they're setting up a plan for local ads), but to devs, they say, "not so much." Apparently they've sent out a message that says location services should only be used to provide "beneficial information," not targeted advertising. Any apps that include ads targeted to where you and your iPhone are will be rejected posthaste, says Apple.There's a few things going on here -- Mobile Entertainment wonders just what "beneficial information" means. Certainly apps like Foursquare and MyTown provide business information based on your iPhone's location, and Foursquare especially is working on local deals with places that you've checked-in to -- is that considered advertising?
And a few developers, including our friend Craig Hockenberry (MacNN messed up Chock's name in their post) say that Apple wants location-based ads for themselves. Kind of a jerk move by Apple, but if that's where the money is, I guess you can't blame them.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Gazoobee said 3:09PM on 2-05-2010
I'm getting so tired of reading this inaccurate story on every website today. The key word in Apple's developer not that you and everyone else is leaving out is "primarily."
Apple is NOT rejecting apps that use location based ads. They are *thinking* of rejecting *some* apps if that app has this as it's only real function. Good for them I say.
Although the conspiracy theory you are weaving is more exciting, the truth is to be preferred.
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Dave Wood said 3:09PM on 2-05-2010
I think this is being blown out of proportion. Apple says you can't use the location just to provide location based ads. If you have a good reason to ask for the location anyway, ie, like Foursquare, you're still able to serve location based ads.
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Yuusharo said 3:18PM on 2-05-2010
Kind of interesting how Jobs bashes Google for them entering the phone business, while Apple seems to be slowly rolling into the advertisement business, Google's core product. Who would have thought these two would be the ones duking it out. Wasn't it just a few years ago that Googapple was going to take over the world?
I doubt this is about Apple limiting competition with another mobile ad service (Admob currently being the most popular, and again, own by Google), and more about user privacy. If you're using something like Urbanspoon, your intent is to find places to eat around you. The "ad" is within the context of the application and what the user expects. I think this is to stop ad agencies from abusing the location services on the iPhone to serve no other purpose than to show a popup ad. They can get very sensitive information in a context that doesn't make sense. Why does a "free" voice recorder that's sponsored by ads ask me for permission to locate me?
I think its about setting ground rules to keep the experience on the App Store pleasant. This just forces people to be more creative if they want location-based ads on the iPhone. Do something like Urbanspoon, Red Laser, or a Gas Station app, and have users actually WANT to see who has the best deals nearby.
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Michael said 3:40PM on 2-05-2010
Well, my RSS feed is now awash with the same story across many blogs. The words have changed slightly, but not the information, nor the sources. I just wish blogs would dig deeper into each other's news rather than retweet it. I read many Mac blogs, all saying the same thing. Amazing. Not one has wondered, is there something more to this story? None have asked, is there another person besides Craig Hockenberry who can comment on it? None have considered, could this be just enforcing something long inside the SDK for less than nefarious reasons (like location-based ads are spooky for end users who don't opt-in )? I realize that it might be too much to ask of blogs, but it would be nice to if one added something to the story. Instead, we have a number of me too articles. I say this not to single out TUAW as a big offender (it's everywhere). I like your blog. I think if you took what you read elsewhere and dug deeper, it would make you a better blog and win greater readership. Please keep in mind that most of us get news through RSS. We don't rely on a single blog. So we see a story roll over the Mac blogosphere like a wave. Most blogs get caught up in the flow. It would be nice if a few blogs stood firm in this wake, and delivered more views or analysis. These blogs will stand out. I appreciate the work that you put into this. My advice is to assume that stories on other blogs have already been read by your audience, therefore you have to ask "What can TUAW add?" for our readership. Thanks for the blog.
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Tyler said 3:52PM on 2-05-2010
To me, it seems more like Apple is preventing apps that have nothing to do with locating you(games, Pandora, etc.) from delivering location based apps. That doesn't seem like a big deal to me. I think a bunch of people are making a mountain of a molehill here.
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Michael said 3:55PM on 2-05-2010
Oh, I forgot to add into my comment an example of stopping the flow. A few days ago, the iphonosphere was awash in "Apple restricting USB to fight Amazon" posts after Stanza removed USB syncing. Finally, one blog looked into it. It turns out that Apple was not plotting against Amazon. It had mentioned to all devs months before, and devs were finally responding to, the use of this particular folder was not for anything and everything. Could this be a similar situation?
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BOK said 4:04PM on 2-05-2010
Whatever happened to placing a call and confirming with a source instead of just regurgitating a story that itself was incorrectly reported? Lazy non-reporting strikes again. Nice job, Mike.
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Sean O'Flaherty said 5:11PM on 2-05-2010
"Whatever happened to placing a call and confirming with a source instead of just regurgitating a story that itself was incorrectly reported?"
The problem is i don't think Apple will comment on this because it's under NDA, so everyone can speculate away with no interference from them.
BOK said 6:03PM on 2-05-2010
Then he should have called Apple, got the no comment and stated as such instead of just shrugging and not even trying. And Apple isn't the only source: Why not try contacting the other companies mentioned in the article, instead of just his friend Craig? Why not read the original message from Apple more closely? Heck, why not even correct the mistakes in this article instead of leaving them there?
It's half-assed no matter the excuse, sorry.
Jamie Osborne said 8:55AM on 2-06-2010
@Sean - No NDA problems exist as the info was included in Apple's (public) ADC iPhone rss feed and is actually just part of a few tips to bear in mind when using corelocation.
The quote is from near the end of the page: http://developer.apple.com/iphone/news/archives/2010/february/#corelocation
"If your app uses this information primarily to enable mobile advertisers to deliver targeted ads based on user's location, your app will be returned to you by the App Store Review Team for modification before it can be posted to the App Store."
Which I completely agree with and think they were just pointing out that you'd be wasting your time submitting such an app as it's already a policy to reject them.
dryan said 4:09PM on 2-05-2010
Agree with all the previous posters about the innaccuracy of this story.
That said, if you think about what Apple is actually saying here, banning apps who use location services just to target ads, it seems entirely reasonable to prevent a huge drain on device resources just to serve a more profitable ad.
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moler said 4:38PM on 2-05-2010
Why any application cannot provide this service? Especially if that will make the application free or cheap. I guess problem here is that 30% of 0$ is 0$ and Apple doesn't like that. So they are, one more time, ready to change the rules and enforce their monopoly over other developers.
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Martin said 4:45PM on 2-05-2010
I'd rather see ads target to the area I'm in than see ads that have absolutely nothing to do with any interests I may or may not have.
And was the jab at MacNN really necessary? It comes across as petty to me.
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Gazoobee said 4:52PM on 2-05-2010
Looks like the title of the article has been toned down closer to reality, but the article itself is still biased, speculative garbage.
The only example given is "MyTown," which would not fall under the rule at all (and it's pretty much crystal clear that it wouldn't based on Apple's statement). I question why this is even mentioned when any 12 year old can see it doesn't apply (if you take the time to look it up).
Then you end the article with this lovely thing "Kind of a jerk move by Apple ... " Geez, what an unbiased article! Not.
This is just grousing and wild speculation based on nothing.
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Yuusharo said 6:07PM on 2-05-2010
While it's wild speculation... doesn't mean it might not be what Apple actually *is* planning all along. None of these companies are necessarily out for what's best for their users first ^__^;.
To be fair, the wording in the Apple email is pretty vague, and does leave room for interpretation. And come on, this is TUAW, not the New York Times. Yes, they have a reputation to maintain as a credible news source (which they are), but that doesn't mean you can't throw a little opinion in there to spice it up. Its those opinions and personalities that keep us coming back for more.
Cameron said 4:42PM on 2-06-2010
It's all about battery life.
if you have a match 3 game with no use of location then you can't add location awareness to your ads. That's just a giant battery drain for that game.
If you build a Yelp application that needs location awareness for core functionality, then location based ads are okay because you are already running the GPS for the real use of the program.
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Abe said 3:01AM on 2-06-2010
Think multitasking and background apps that serve little purpose other than to constantly push location based ads to the user.
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