5 ms·

Apple developers are frustrated with gambling ads appearing across the App Store

101 points by JohnTHaller 4y ago

ndlzk 4y ago
- kweingar 4y ago
  > Gambling app ads have even started showing up beneath apps meant to help users recover from a gambling addiction I don't need Christianity to know that this shouldn't be happening
bobbylarrybobby 4y ago
Is the future of advertising just 100% gambling ads? Looks to be that way anytime I watch a baseball game.
- JohnTHaller 4y ago
  It's profitable and addictive, so it's the natural next step up from 'games' with loot boxes that cluttered the ads.
- coldtea 4y ago
  Now, consider the mistake of clicking and checking out 1 or 2 of them. They will intesify 20x in your ad "feed"...
nickv 4y ago
Saw this coming with Eddy Cue taking over the App Store from Phil Schiller.
- lapcat 4y ago
  This is not accurate. "Phil Schiller is an Apple Fellow, responsible for leading the App Store and Apple Events." https://www.apple.com/leadership/phil-schiller/ https://www.apple.com/leadership/phil-schiller/ Moreover: "Schiller is still very much in the thick of the action at Apple, where he continues to put in long hours, according to people familiar with this role. The duties he held on to — overseeing the App Store, Apple’s distribution hub for software designed for devices like the iPhone — has positioned him at the center of the Apple business that is attracting the most scrutiny from antitrust regulators in the U.S. and abroad." https://9to5mac.com/2022/09/13/phil-schiller-profile/ https://9to5mac.com/2022/09/13/phil-schiller-profile/
  - coldtea 4y ago
    That's what they always say when someone is moves on, is sidelined, or is moved to a cosmetic role ("nothing changed, they're as active as ever").
    - lapcat 4y ago
      That's missing the point. (Also it's an unfalsifiable claim.) Phil Schiller took over the App Store from Eddy Cue 7 years ago. So the OP got it backward. https://www.theverge.com/2015/12/17/10412204/apple-phil-schiller-now-leads-app-store https://www.theverge.com/2015/12/17/10412204/apple-phil-schi...
      - coldtea 4y ago
        >(Also it's an unfalsifiable claim.) Nothing wrong with those, if they're also true. Sometimes you have to go by experience, not evidence.
        lapcat 4y ago
        > Sometimes you have to go by experience Are you a current or former Apple employee? Anyway, "Eddy Cue re-takes App Store from Phil Schiller" is not even a rumor. That's coming from nowhere.
        coldtea 4y ago
        >Are you a current or former Apple employee? By the experience of the kind of vacuous things companies say time and again when someone is sidelined/has moved on/and so on, only to be proven BS. I'm not an employee at an acquired SaaS startup either, but I do know from similar experience that 9 times out of 10, "nothing will change", "we now have more resources to make an even better product" etc, means the product you'll loved and used will be either become unrecognizable or will shut down within a year or so... In this case, if "Phil Schiller took over the App Store from Eddy Cue 7 years ago. So the OP got it backward" then that's probably not the case. But the general principle remains...
adam_arthur 4y ago
"Apple doesn't believe in ads!" Whoops
- MBCook 4y ago
  Apple believes less and less in making great products for users. They’ve fallen into the growth-at-all-costs mentality that ruins everything. If they can do almost nothing and make money they’re doing it. I don’t see why gambling apps are on the store at all. Isn’t there a rule against them anyway? So in the end, surprise surprise, the ads exist. And since crypto scams and gambling apps take in tons of money, they have the most to buy ads. I miss Steve.
nickphx 4y ago
It's going to be funny watching Apple make the same mistakes as every other massive corporation that decides to allow user generated content as Advertising.
nullfield 4y ago
So, seriously… If Apple starts going down the road of Google, putting ads in everything, then can’t we pretty much be sure that the same perverse incentives that care nothing for our privacy will almost certainly follow, no matter how much Apple protests that they won’t do that? And if so, why should we keep paying Apple the premium it charges?
- throwaway5959 4y ago
  We shouldn’t, and I won’t. I’ll sell all my Apple hardware and convert to Linux on the laptop, Windows for the gaming rig (already there) and Pixel for phone. I’ve kept all my stuff on non-Apple/Google platforms like 1Password and Dropbox so switching will be trivial.
  - nullfield 4y ago
    Ditching 1Password for bitwarden and self-hosting it with vaultwarden might also be an option depending on your needs and experience.
    - throwaway5959 4y ago
      I’m happy to pay $60 or whatever it is a year to let them manage it for me.
      - commoner 4y ago
        Bitwarden's managed service is just $10/year (or free if you don't need TOTP), and it's FOSS.
- woojoo666 4y ago
  I doubt Apple will go down that path, the past few years have shown how badly advertising can hurt the reputation of a company (see Facebook, Google)
  - wobbly_bush 4y ago
coldtea 4y ago
I'm frustrated with ALL and ANY ad appearing across the App Store. I pay for the device, I pay for services, I pay for the apps and app subscriptions, heck, I even pay for device peripherals (cases, and so on). Why the fuck does Apple need to make a buck selling ads to me too?
- mensetmanusman 4y ago
  Because they love money?
  - coldtea 4y ago
    All kinds of companies love money, doesn't mean they do everything and anything to get at them. Some, of course do. But that comes at a cost too. What you don't do sends a message about your brand too -- and can cheapen and devalue it.
    - drekipus 4y ago
      They really love money.
    - mikestew 4y ago
      Am I having a Mandela moment, or did Cook's "sometimes it's not about the damned money/profits" quote from a shareholders meeting get memory-holed? (Background: shareholder shows up at meeting, complains about environmental initiatives or summat. Cook unleashes quote. Damned if my search fu can find it.) EDIT: took another whack at it and found it: https://macdailynews.com/2014/03/01/tim-cook-gets-angry-over-shareholder-proposal-for-environmental-spending-transparency-says-those-who-disagree-should-get-of-apple-stock/ https://macdailynews.com/2014/03/01/tim-cook-gets-angry-over... "‘When I think about doing the right thing,’ he said, ‘I don’t think about an ROI… If that’s a hard line for you, then you should get [out] of the stock.'" Mmmm, that's aging like a fine wine. But to give benefit of the doubt, I suppose gambling is a-okay for Mr. Cook. Myself, as an Apple shareholder for 20 years, eh, I'll occasionally darken the door of a casino, but I don't want to make money off gambling business. But back to on-topic: yes, company actions can most certainly cheapen a brand. For instance, show enough gambling ads and IMO your "store" starts to look like there ought to be a payday loan place on one side, and a liquor store with bars on the windows on the other side.
mensetmanusman 4y ago
“You’re a recovered addict? I would recommend gambling!”
georgebarnett 4y ago
Advertising can be helpful if it’s done carefully, with taste (Daring Fireball is a good example). Apple it would appear are losing their taste which is a real shame, because they’re willingly giving up their edge over Google. If I’m forced into ads, I trust Google to do them better. I find it remarkable that the rest of Apple internally hasn’t politically shot the ads division in the face yet.
- Ptchd 4y ago
  Apple isn't Apple without Steve Jobs...
leoh 4y ago
Apple is increasingly becoming a deeply corrupted institution. It will not have a respected legacy in 5-10 years.
mgh2 4y ago
Update: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33352886 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33352886

101 points by JohnTHaller 4y ago

ndlzk 4y ago

kweingar 4y ago
> Gambling app ads have even started showing up beneath apps meant to help users recover from a gambling addiction I don't need Christianity to know that this shouldn't be happening

bobbylarrybobby 4y ago

Is the future of advertising just 100% gambling ads? Looks to be that way anytime I watch a baseball game.

JohnTHaller 4y ago
It's profitable and addictive, so it's the natural next step up from 'games' with loot boxes that cluttered the ads.
coldtea 4y ago
Now, consider the mistake of clicking and checking out 1 or 2 of them. They will intesify 20x in your ad "feed"...

nickv 4y ago

Saw this coming with Eddy Cue taking over the App Store from Phil Schiller.

lapcat 4y ago
This is not accurate. "Phil Schiller is an Apple Fellow, responsible for leading the App Store and Apple Events." https://www.apple.com/leadership/phil-schiller/ https://www.apple.com/leadership/phil-schiller/ Moreover: "Schiller is still very much in the thick of the action at Apple, where he continues to put in long hours, according to people familiar with this role. The duties he held on to — overseeing the App Store, Apple’s distribution hub for software designed for devices like the iPhone — has positioned him at the center of the Apple business that is attracting the most scrutiny from antitrust regulators in the U.S. and abroad." https://9to5mac.com/2022/09/13/phil-schiller-profile/ https://9to5mac.com/2022/09/13/phil-schiller-profile/
- coldtea 4y ago
  That's what they always say when someone is moves on, is sidelined, or is moved to a cosmetic role ("nothing changed, they're as active as ever").
  - lapcat 4y ago
    That's missing the point. (Also it's an unfalsifiable claim.) Phil Schiller took over the App Store from Eddy Cue 7 years ago. So the OP got it backward. https://www.theverge.com/2015/12/17/10412204/apple-phil-schiller-now-leads-app-store https://www.theverge.com/2015/12/17/10412204/apple-phil-schi...
    - coldtea 4y ago
      >(Also it's an unfalsifiable claim.) Nothing wrong with those, if they're also true. Sometimes you have to go by experience, not evidence.
      - lapcat 4y ago
        > Sometimes you have to go by experience Are you a current or former Apple employee? Anyway, "Eddy Cue re-takes App Store from Phil Schiller" is not even a rumor. That's coming from nowhere.
        coldtea 4y ago
        >Are you a current or former Apple employee? By the experience of the kind of vacuous things companies say time and again when someone is sidelined/has moved on/and so on, only to be proven BS. I'm not an employee at an acquired SaaS startup either, but I do know from similar experience that 9 times out of 10, "nothing will change", "we now have more resources to make an even better product" etc, means the product you'll loved and used will be either become unrecognizable or will shut down within a year or so... In this case, if "Phil Schiller took over the App Store from Eddy Cue 7 years ago. So the OP got it backward" then that's probably not the case. But the general principle remains...

adam_arthur 4y ago

"Apple doesn't believe in ads!" Whoops

MBCook 4y ago
Apple believes less and less in making great products for users. They’ve fallen into the growth-at-all-costs mentality that ruins everything. If they can do almost nothing and make money they’re doing it. I don’t see why gambling apps are on the store at all. Isn’t there a rule against them anyway? So in the end, surprise surprise, the ads exist. And since crypto scams and gambling apps take in tons of money, they have the most to buy ads. I miss Steve.

nickphx 4y ago

It's going to be funny watching Apple make the same mistakes as every other massive corporation that decides to allow user generated content as Advertising.

nullfield 4y ago

So, seriously… If Apple starts going down the road of Google, putting ads in everything, then can’t we pretty much be sure that the same perverse incentives that care nothing for our privacy will almost certainly follow, no matter how much Apple protests that they won’t do that? And if so, why should we keep paying Apple the premium it charges?

throwaway5959 4y ago
We shouldn’t, and I won’t. I’ll sell all my Apple hardware and convert to Linux on the laptop, Windows for the gaming rig (already there) and Pixel for phone. I’ve kept all my stuff on non-Apple/Google platforms like 1Password and Dropbox so switching will be trivial.
- nullfield 4y ago
  Ditching 1Password for bitwarden and self-hosting it with vaultwarden might also be an option depending on your needs and experience.
  - throwaway5959 4y ago
    I’m happy to pay $60 or whatever it is a year to let them manage it for me.
    - commoner 4y ago
      Bitwarden's managed service is just $10/year (or free if you don't need TOTP), and it's FOSS.
woojoo666 4y ago
I doubt Apple will go down that path, the past few years have shown how badly advertising can hurt the reputation of a company (see Facebook, Google)
- wobbly_bush 4y ago

coldtea 4y ago

I'm frustrated with ALL and ANY ad appearing across the App Store. I pay for the device, I pay for services, I pay for the apps and app subscriptions, heck, I even pay for device peripherals (cases, and so on). Why the fuck does Apple need to make a buck selling ads to me too?

mensetmanusman 4y ago
Because they love money?
- coldtea 4y ago
  All kinds of companies love money, doesn't mean they do everything and anything to get at them. Some, of course do. But that comes at a cost too. What you don't do sends a message about your brand too -- and can cheapen and devalue it.
  - drekipus 4y ago
    They really love money.
  - mikestew 4y ago
    Am I having a Mandela moment, or did Cook's "sometimes it's not about the damned money/profits" quote from a shareholders meeting get memory-holed? (Background: shareholder shows up at meeting, complains about environmental initiatives or summat. Cook unleashes quote. Damned if my search fu can find it.) EDIT: took another whack at it and found it: https://macdailynews.com/2014/03/01/tim-cook-gets-angry-over-shareholder-proposal-for-environmental-spending-transparency-says-those-who-disagree-should-get-of-apple-stock/ https://macdailynews.com/2014/03/01/tim-cook-gets-angry-over... "‘When I think about doing the right thing,’ he said, ‘I don’t think about an ROI… If that’s a hard line for you, then you should get [out] of the stock.'" Mmmm, that's aging like a fine wine. But to give benefit of the doubt, I suppose gambling is a-okay for Mr. Cook. Myself, as an Apple shareholder for 20 years, eh, I'll occasionally darken the door of a casino, but I don't want to make money off gambling business. But back to on-topic: yes, company actions can most certainly cheapen a brand. For instance, show enough gambling ads and IMO your "store" starts to look like there ought to be a payday loan place on one side, and a liquor store with bars on the windows on the other side.

mensetmanusman 4y ago

“You’re a recovered addict? I would recommend gambling!”

georgebarnett 4y ago

Advertising can be helpful if it’s done carefully, with taste (Daring Fireball is a good example). Apple it would appear are losing their taste which is a real shame, because they’re willingly giving up their edge over Google. If I’m forced into ads, I trust Google to do them better. I find it remarkable that the rest of Apple internally hasn’t politically shot the ads division in the face yet.

Ptchd 4y ago
Apple isn't Apple without Steve Jobs...

leoh 4y ago

Apple is increasingly becoming a deeply corrupted institution. It will not have a respected legacy in 5-10 years.

mgh2 4y ago

Update: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33352886 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33352886