They have been doing it for at least 2 years now.
Apple is said to be secretly buying Google ads for high-value apps to potentially collect millions of dollars in subscription revenue, driving the overall revenue of the App Store to the top. According to a new report published by Forbes, the ads are placed without the consent of developers and can cost them millions of dollars in lost revenue. The report shows, that businesses like Tinder, Plenty of Fish, Bumble, HBO, Masterclass, and language learning service Babbel were all impacted by it.
"The ads don’t disclose that they are from Apple and would, to most observers, simply look like ads from the brands and app publishers themselves that happen to go right to the App Store," reads the report. "They do, however, have similar tracking links with near-identical parameters that indicate one agency is likely placing all of them."
However, the report did not provide any compelling evidence that it was indeed Apple behind the ads, or that they were placed secretly and quietly. The information came from developers and is likely based on the fact that the app makers did not purchase the ads and that the ads go straight to an App Store link.
What's more, in a statement given to MacRumors, Apple called Forbes' report an "overt mischaracterization" and that it is a standard business practice.
"Apple indicated that this is no different from retailers running ads for the products they sell and is a very standard business model. Apple is granted conventional legal rights to advertise in this way in the agreements it has with developers," reads the statement. "Apple says that the allegation that it is "secretly" or "quietly" purchasing ads for developers without their knowledge or consent is an overt mischaracterization. On the contrary, the company says that it regularly engages in conversation with developers about the ads it places and many developers express their appreciation for this support."
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