Feds taking a close look at Apple's mobile advertising policies

By on Jun 10, 2010 at 3:07 PM
mobile June 10, 2010

iad

Surprise! The U.S. government is once again going to throw Apple under the microscope and investi alleged anti-competitive practices, this time for the new language Apple is using in section 3.3.9 of its developers agreement which appears to be directed straight at Google’s AdMob. This information comes to us by way of The Financial Times. This would mark the second time that federal regulators have looked at Apple relating to mobile ads and one of many other preliminary investigations. It was just yesterday that AdMob broke its silence on the matter and went on the offensive saying that Apple is putting up “artificial barriers to competition” which will only serve to “hurt users and developers and, in the long run, stall technological progress.” The question in this case appears to be whether or not Apple’s fiercely competitive tactics with iOS advertising are legal or warrant anti-trust action.

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  • BizGuy

    I can’t believe Apple fan bois have such a hard time seeing Apple for what it really is — a cult with a control-freak leader. Bow down to your leader Jobs. Pay him your dues for being in the Apple walled garden.

    • umaluver

      Its so much more obvious now.

      Steve “check out these great ads we can do now.”
      Fans “oh yeah those adds are great. thanks steve.”

      wait wtf. nobody likes adds. good job dicks.

    • Billum

      Why do you as a consumer of an Apple smart phone care if Google can’t mine your personal data? I mean come on guys this is a good thing. Apple is doing this is theirs and the consumers (your) best interest.

      Unless you work for admob of are a Google shareholder this a a good thing! Don’t be stupid just because it’s Apple against Google..

      Some people have a very hard time accepting that Apple is very successful because they make a great product that people like it. It’s a model that we all should aspire to be!

  • Lollipopjones

    I hate this BS about “it hurts us users!” please give me a break. You want to get on our devices and sell our data about our usage, what we use, and how we use our device. I am sorry but these analytics firms are absolute BS.

    They are making a business off of invading our privacy and trying to say “ITS NEEDED TO HELP DEVS AND CONSUMER!”. No, they have no right to steal my information. If they want it they can make surveys like all the other companies do.

    • KBL

      Privacy died with the Y2K bug.

    • AndroidFella

      Buddy, I’ll say it again like I’ve said it before…if really need to be worried about ALL the 3rd party applications that have access to your private information. Do you not realise Apple gives them full control to access whatever they want on your phone!

      When was the last time you were asked if you wanted to grant an installing application access to your contact data? When? NEVER! For all you know it’s already been sent to some server. Apple CAN NOT guarantee this will not happen. They have a terms of agreement in place, big deal.

      Wake up and get onto a Blackberry if you’re that worried about privacy, or an Android phone.

      • Lollipopjones

        You do realize Android is the worse device for Privacy? VzW sales people are supposed to inform their customers that their personal data all goes to Google…

      • AndroidFella

        So using your logic it’s better to allow absolutely ANY 3rd party application access to your private information rather than just one – Google?

        I have much more faith in Google than I do any random company. There are plenty of amazing services that Google provides enabling you to organize all your personal data. I’m fine with that, it’s all password protected, and I’m in control of what I put on Google’s servers.

        Unlike the 200,000 3rd Apple applications, I have absolutely no idea what personal data the applications are getting off my phone!!

        But your point of VzW people informing their customers their contact information will be sync’d with Google is good because it’s another value added service and reinforces the customers good decision.

        Until you’ve actually used GMail, GTalk, GDocs and all the other services you don’t know what you’re missing. You Apple people really must trust the open gate Apple gives to those 3rd party applications.

      • AndroidFella

        And I forgot to mention that people don’t realize when they use MSN, Yahoo or even AOL…ALL your messages become property of those companies…but Apple user’s are okay with that…just not with Google’s services.

        Hmmmm, I think I’m onto something here….

  • Everyone

    Wait for it…. Wait for it…. apple fan boys will be in denial once again.

    Apple fails once again.

  • B

    Please tell me that’s not their real marketing headline. Beautiful? Magical devices? Seriously? This is in no way a negative comment on the iWhathaveyou, but do people really go for these silly enchantment gimmicks?

    • Everyone

      Yeap, they could say Steve Jobs has a magical three legged unicorn up his ass and people will still believe them.

    • seven5suited

      I had that same thought. Who falls for that crappola?

      • http://unprintedpage.com Gnorb

        Fanbois, the “Apple can do no wrong” crowd–who was quick to point out monopolistic behavior in Microsoft but won’t dare say a negative thing about Apple’s blatant attempts–do. Seriously, I’ve seen developers who I otherwise respect turn into blithering idiots at an announcement of the iLeader.

        I still remember reading one particular developer’s comment regarding his iPad: “Just pre-ordered my iPad! Please arrive soon, oh magical, revolutionary device!” I nearly vomited, and swore there and then that if I heard anyone use those terms in actual conversation in regards to a tech product I’d punch them in the face repeatedly.

        /Not an Apple hater.
        //But fanbois piss me off as much as political ideologues.
        ///And as much as Apple haters.

  • who dat

    Just goes to show u what they smoke in Appleville.

  • timmy

    I stopped believing in magic when I was 2. These apple fan boys still believe it.

  • KBL

    Hmm. I like Apple products, but this story, the iTunes investigation, and all the other bad PR lately has really started to make me question my thoughts regarding their company.

    • Art Vandelay

      Thank god you woke up. The truth is Apple could come right out and say “Yes we want to steal your personal data and usage then sell it.” They could do that and Apple fanbois would defend it and then buy the device. When Apple announced that they were doing this iAd thing I figured Apple fans would wake up and say “WTF” no they defend and can’t wait to but the new Iphone. It’s really sad and pathetic.

      • KBL

        Yeah once they finally get Android working for iPhone I’m switching haha.

  • http://jimster.com jiimmyj

    apple is the devil.

    stevejobs is a taintlicker.

  • Perspective

    Actually Apple doesn’t fail here. It’s completely permissible to bar competitors from advertising on your products. It’s why you don’t see CBS ads on NBC. Now, had they barred all advertisers, then there might be an argument. But barring competitors is just smart business for smart people. Sadly, most of you aren’t smart, aren’t business people, and judging by the previous comments, are actually rather stupid.

    Cheers.

    • Everyone

      uhhhh…. so what you’re saying is the feds are just playing games? riggggggghttttt.

      Sadly, you aparently do not know a thing about the FTC and its Bureau of Competition so keep your useless information to yourself. You are probably not only an iPhone fanboy but also a left wing obama supporter.

      The Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition champions the rights of American consumers by promoting and protecting free and vigorous competition. The Bureau:

      * reviews mergers and acquisitions, and challenges those that would likely lead to higher prices, fewer choices, or less innovation;

      * seeks out and challenges anticompetitive conduct in the marketplace, including monopolization and agreements between competitors;

      * promotes competition in industries where consumer impact is high, such as health care, real estate, oil & gas, technology, and consumer goods;

      * provides information, and holds conferences and workshops, for consumers, businesses, and policy makers on competition issues and market analysis.

    • http://www.daverea.com/ medicdave

      @Perspective – Nice attempt, but you’ve got it a little cockeyed. Apple isn’t barring others from advertising on the iOS platform, but rather they’re prohibiting the collection of analytics by a very specific subset of 3rd-party advertisers. Yes, it’s perfectly acceptable and beneficial to “free” markets for businesses to out-innovate their competition, but when your competition is part of your ecosystem, you can’t just change the rules of participation based on narrow characteristics. You do see the same TV ads on competing networks; the Apple iAd situation would be more akin to CBS saying to NBC “I don’t want you to be able to see the Nielsen ratings of CBS shows because you’re my competitor.” It’s anticompetitive behavior plain and simple, and this move by Apple clearly runs counter to the market’s and customers’ interests.

      • Lollipopjones

        Do you know how Nielsen ratings work? Nielsen ratings is an opt in survey system that send you a ratings box (Set Meter) that you hook up to your TV and it monitors what you watch… There is also a second system where you just record what your watching via “Viewers Diaries”.

        This is how Nielsen gets its ratings. In order for them to get this info they must get you to waive your privacy via a consent form. So your TV analogy holds ZERO credibility. This situation is different. adMob and its ilk do not need you to waive your rights to privacy to secure your private data because simply put Net Based Analytics firms are so new and the consumers are so brick stupid they can get away with it.

        A better analogy would be a cable company banning a DVR manufacturer because they send their customers data to rival companies and advertisers.

    • Luke in DC

      The language in the agreement bars third party analytics services of ads. So even if you use iAd, you have to use Apple’s analytics platform and couldn’t choose say Google or any other analytics platform to look at YOUR data as an advertiser. This is aimed squarely at Google because it means that adMob can’t use their analytics platform which by all accounts it far superior to Apple’s offering. This also means you can’t use iAd with adMob analytics. How isn’t that anti-competitive?

      • Everyone

        Roger that Luke!

  • http://www.daverea.com/ medicdave

    At least the feds are doing something about it now – Apple has been on a power-grabbing binge for a long time, but now that it’s becoming blatant, and now that the technology of smartphones and the mobile web is becoming ubiquitous, they can’t hide behind the old “it’s new, it’s different, so we should be able to skirt the system” mantra.

  • Donnation

    Jesus, can’t our government come up with more productive things to do with our tax dollars??

    Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone).

    • Everyone

      No that loser Obama is in charge.

      • Art Vandelay

        Yea Bush was so much better. Fucking douche!

  • rederikus

    Jobs & Co. seem to actually BELIEVE their own bullshit.

    This is a very good sign. When this happens companies almost always fail.

  • Fattychance

    I still vote that Jobs is doing this to see just how far he can go. An early plea deal will end it.

    You watch. You see.

    If not that….he wants to conclusively demonstrate that the FTC is 100% useless.

    The things they are pulling in PLAIN SIGHT are far worse than what Microsoft did in back room dealings.

  • kegman

    Its amazing how apple fanbois are best compared to lemmings. Do a little homework, you’ll realize that jobs sold you an ipad with its hand tied behind his back by not putting in flash. You have to feel cheated with all those little red x’s. and within a year mobile phones will be running flash, but your superior ipad wont be able to.

    The nazi windows corp has had its torch taken by a new more powerful tyrant.

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