Copyright SlashGear
Apple Maps might be getting ads, and a lot of us aren't happy about it. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who has a track record of leaking Apple news before they're official, Apple is turning its focus to the Maps app as part of its plan to expand its advertising business. Already, it's been testing the waters with the App Store, Apple News, and Stocks app. And while it did take a lot of users by surprise, we've all gotten used to it now. But Maps just feels different. It's a utility app that we rely on for directions, not a place we expect to be sold to. The main problem, when you think about it, is that ads in Maps would fundamentally change how the app works. Right now, when you search for a coffee shop or gas station, you expect to get results based on proximity, relevance, and ratings. However, If Apple introduces ads, search results could easily become a function of the highest bidder since businesses can now pay to appear at the top, even if they're not the closest or best-rated option. It's a slippery slope considering a good number of people already believe that Apple Maps is one of the worst products Apple ever made. But it is unlikely that Apple is just going to leave money on the table, considering its ads business brought in around $4 billion in 2022. And that number is expected to go up to $30 billion by 2026. But the question is whether that play for increased revenue is worth risking any sort of damage to the trust users have in the brand. Apple has always been clear on its commitment to protecting user data. And Maps, which hundreds of millions of people use, currently reflects the company's privacy-first philosophy. Unlike Google Maps, which tracks your location history and uses it to serve personalized ads, Apple Maps doesn't store your search or location data in a way that's tied to your identity. But if Apple were to start serving users ads within the Maps app, it's not clear how they'd hold up that promise of privacy. Will the company start collecting user data to make those ads more targeted? We don't know for sure. But one thing we do know is that Apple Maps has always had an edge over Google Maps when it comes to privacy and even design. While some people still need convincing that Apple Maps is as good and commuter-friendly as Google Maps, it's hard to deny that Apple's interface is cleaner. However, we're curious to see how Apple manages to keep the interface clean, because with ads comes clutter, especially in crowded urban areas where there are already a lot of points of interest on the map. Apple's design ethos has always been simplicity and elegance. But we've seen products flop a few times, from the butterfly keyboard to the magic mouse, and the liquid glass (which some say is one of the worst iPhone features). Nonetheless, Mark Gurman says the updated Maps ought to have a better UI than Google Maps and co. If Apple does move forward with this decision, they'll be leveraging AI to show you results that are relevant and useful. But you'd most likely still have to scroll past the sponsored listings to find what you're looking for. Lately, it feels like major tech companies have been chasing profits at the expense of users' experience. YouTube, for instance, has been aggressively pushing Premium subs by putting more ads in your face and cracking down on ad-blockers. X (which most of us will forever know as Twitter) introduced paid verification and put features that used to be free, like longer posts and editing, behind the paywall. Meta, in their recent pay-or-consent rollout in the EU, where users either pay €9.99 a month or accept personalized ads, are essentially charging people for privacy. So, it appears that when product sales are dwindling, companies would take the opportunity to squeeze extra revenue from their existing customers. And what better way to do that than through paid ads? The confusing part, however, is that Apple has spent years positioning itself as the company that doesn't sell your data or bombard you with ads. Ironically, it now seems to be exploring sneaky ways to get you to spend more without you realizing it. That said, this is only just a rumor. Apple hasn't made any official announcements, and it's possible they put a pin on it after gauging user reaction. It wouldn't be the first time the company has scrapped a controversial feature after public backlash. But if the past few years are any indication, Apple's ambitions to double down on advertising aren't going anywhere. But one can only wonder if they'll be able to pull this off without vexing users. After all, the whole point of Apple Maps is that it's not Google Maps. If they start cramming ads in there, what's the difference?
