Apple has banned apps that use its search advertisements from being placed on iPhones, iPads, and Macs to isolate Russia for its actions in Ukraine. The previous version of Search Ads was a set of ads that could be displayed above search results for apps, similar to the current ones.
The report says that Apple sent an email to the developers, who were asked to verify if their apps contained code to break the iOS 7 software in such a manner. Said has suspended its app search ads on the Russian App Store, and no new campaigns are allowed until the suspension is lifted.
The first ever Apple Store was opened on the 5th of May, 2016. Here you’ll find apps that are not available in Apple’s store and are only promoted by their makers in the form of in-app ads.
The Financial Times reports that Apple’s search ads account for almost 60% of all iPhone application downloads in the year 2021. If that number is valid, it would bring in 20 billion dollars of revenue for them by 2020 and is likely to rise even higher.
This new ban by Apple and others on Russian technology products comes at a time when Russia is under new sanctions. Ukraine has threatened to ban the use of tech companies’ services in Crimea and Russia if tech companies don’t cut off access to their products and services in Crimea and Russia.
Last week, Apple stopped selling products in Russia. The day before, it banned ads from a host of Russian media companies, including the state-owned RT and the Sputnik news agency. Apple has now disabled traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps in Ukraine for the safety of Ukrainian citizens.
Other companies like Google and Meta have also banned advertising services in Russia. Earlier this week, streaming service Netflix also suspended all its services in the country. Some of the most anticipated new Apple products and services are coming soon.