Ads have started popping up in Apple Maps, following Apple’s announcement in March that it would let businesses pay for top spots. They’re appearing on my iPhone as the first entry in the “suggested places” section in search, but Apple says they’ll also show up at the top of search results. According to 9to5Mac, the ads began rolling out this week, and more users in the US and Canada will start seeing them over the next few weeks.
They’re marked with a blue “ad” icon, similar to the ads Google’s had in its Maps app for years now. I was also greeted with a pop-up warning me about the ads when I launched the Maps app this morning:
Maps may show local ads based on your approximate location, current search terms, or view of the map while you search. For your privacy, advertising information is not linked to your Apple Account.
Apple shared similar privacy claims in its March announcement for the ads, stating, “A user’s location and the ads they see and interact with in Maps are not associated with a user’s Apple Account. Personal data stays on a user’s device, is not collected or stored by Apple, and is not shared with third parties.”