Apple slashed a lot of revenue from its main competitors when it introduced ATT measures on iPhone. Many touted it as the beginning of safe haven devoid of any tracking on the iPhone. But it was just another opportunity to build a revenue stream out of the App Store. Apple now offers ad spots to developers who want to promote their creations on the App store.
It is an already crowded market, with tons of developers joining every year, and ads offer a way to promote a great product. But after a small duration, Apple paused the gambling ads showing up on the App Store. The action came after a lot of iPhone users complained about the ads displayed on the App Store.
Why did Apple allow gambling app ads on App Store?
Gambling is addictive, and many people know its effects and have first-hand experience with the problems it brings into their lives. While gambling is legal in many states, it isn’t a mainstream trend among teenagers and children. A lot of kids use the App Store, sometimes from their own iPhones and sometimes from their parent’s phones.
If they see such ads (which are compelling enough), they wander into a territory deemed unsafe for many. Similarly, someone with a gambling addiction can relapse when they see such an accessible means to partake in the activity. According to The Verge, Apple does restrict the visibility of these apps on the platform. But since the service is in its early stages, the execution part is lackluster.
Apple didn’t shed light on the future of these categories of app advertisements on the App Store. They are paused for now but could return at some point. You may ask why? It is because categories like gambling and adult content have advertisers that are ready to pay top dollar for the spotlight.
Apple could be inclined not to throw that away when it is exploring new avenues of revenue. But it should restrict their visibility based on age groups and other factors. It is very difficult to predict what someone will do, but Apple must find a way to fix it. Meanwhile. Apple is also planning to serve ads in other apps like Maps and Books. So, it could slowly transform the iPhone into a product where you pay money to keep ads away from default apps on your phone.
