Apple’s collaboration with ad-tech giant Taboola has led to a noticeable decline in the quality of advertisements appearing on Apple News, sparking concern among users and industry observers alike. Since the partnership began in 2024, Apple News has been inundated with ads that many describe as dubious or outright scammy, raising questions about the platform’s ad vetting processes.
Declining Ad Quality and Scam Concerns
Veteran tech journalist Kirk McElhearn recently highlighted the troubling trend in a post titled “I Now Assume that All Ads on Apple News Are Scams.” He points out that some advertisements on Apple News are not only poorly generated—often using AI—but also employ deceptive tactics. One example is an ad from Tidenox featuring an AI-created image of an elderly woman alongside the Google Gemini logo. The ad follows a familiar scam pattern, claiming a business is closing and offering steep discounts to clear inventory, yet customers who order rarely receive any products.
Further scrutiny reveals that many of these questionable ads originate from domains registered very recently, some as recent as the previous month, which is a significant red flag indicating potential fraudulent intent.
Background on the Apple and Taboola Deal
In early 2024, Apple entered into a deal with Taboola, one of the world’s largest ad-tech companies, to manage native advertising within Apple News and the Apple Stocks app. This arrangement was intended to enhance the advertising experience and monetisation on these platforms. However, unlike many subscription services, Apple News+ subscribers do not benefit from an ad-free experience; ads remain visible even with a subscription, although paywalls on many publications are removed.
The influx of low-quality ads since the partnership has raised concerns about whether Apple is adequately monitoring the advertisements served through Taboola. While there is no legal obligation for Apple to rigorously vet ads, the growing presence of scammy and AI-generated advertisements has led to calls for greater responsibility.
What’s Next for Apple News Advertising?
As Apple News continues to serve a large and engaged user base, the quality and trustworthiness of its advertisements will remain under scrutiny. Observers will be watching closely to see if Apple takes steps to improve ad vetting or adjusts its relationship with Taboola to protect users from misleading content. For now, users are advised to approach Apple News ads with caution.
Overall, the situation underscores the challenges tech companies face in balancing monetisation through advertising with maintaining user trust and platform integrity.
Source: Kirkville