One benefit of most of Apple’s hardware and software is that it’s relatively privacy-focused and light on advertising, compared to something like modern Windows or the Roku operating system. But ads have still crept into various apps and services over time, and Apple confirmed today that its Maps app would begin showing ads to users in the US and Canada starting “this summer.”
Businesses that want to show ads in Apple Maps will be able to claim their physical location and upload photos, and then pay to have their business displayed at the top of search results “based on relevance” and also in a “Suggested Places” section of the app. Apple displays similar relevance-based advertisements when users search for apps in the App Store.
Apple says that users’ personal data will still stay on-device and won’t be collected by Apple or shared with third parties. The company also says that ads viewed or opened in Maps won’t be tied to your Apple account or used to track your physical location.
It’s interesting to see how Apple is evolving its Maps app with the introduction of ads. Balancing user privacy with new revenue streams can be a challenge, but it’ll be intriguing to see how this impacts the overall experience. Looking forward to the updates!