According to reports surfacing Wednesday, Apple will no longer serve iAds to mobile iOS apps that are tailored to children.
Apple says a lack of interest among advertisers is driving that decision, not increasing pressure from US lawmakers to revamp the company’s questionable in-app advertising practices.
In reality, however, Apple hasn’t publicly commented on the matter. Instead, we’re gaining insight about Apple’s new policy from app developer who had all iAds pulled from his kid-friendly work.
Mike Zornek, maker of the Pokemon-themed “Dex” app, contacted Apple to find out why his advertising fill rate fell to $0.
According to Zornek who chronicled the ordeal on his official blog, an Apple rep replied: “We periodically review the apps in the iAd Network to ensure that all apps receiving ads are aligned with the needs of our advertisers.”
“Currently,” the message concluded, “our advertisers prefer that their advertising not appear in applications that are targeted for users that are young children, since their products are not targeted at that audience.”
Ads a result of Apple’s change in iAd policy and the subsequent loss of revenue, Zornek has opted to move on from iOS and, instead, bring his apps to the AdMob network – which is owned by Apple rival Google.