Why Your Apple News Feed is Suddenly Full of Low-Quality Ads

Apple News is getting heavy backlash from readers reporting the presence of low-quality and possibly fake ads in the feed. While the company has long built its reputation on premium services and user privacy, its 2024 partnership with ad-tech giant Taboola is now under the microscope. For many users, the presence of these “scammy” ads on Apple News feels like a departure from the company’s usual methods.

Apple News faces backlash over surge in low-quality Taboola-powered Ads

Taboola is a major player in the advertising world. However, it often carries a reputation for “chumbox” ads. These are sensationalist, clickbait-style links frequently found at the bottom of news articles. When Apple announced the deal to bring native advertising to Apple News and Apple Stocks, critics were skeptical.

Veteran tech journalist Kirk McElhearn is now highlighting how these ads have deteriorated. The list of poor-quality advertising examples includes sloppily edited AI-generated images, sometimes even failing to remove watermarks from AI tools like Google Gemini. These advertisements often promote businesses that claim to be “closing down” and offering massive discounts. The latter is a classic tactic that frequently leads to customers never receiving their orders.

No escape even for paid users

One of the main points of frustration for users is the lack of an ad-free experience, even on the paid tier. Apple News+ comes with a significant subscription fee, but while it opens up access to premium publications, it does not remove the advertisements. For many, paying a monthly fee only to be greeted by questionable ads feels like a poor trade-off.

The quality control issues are becoming harder to ignore. Analysts have pointed out that many of the companies currently advertising on the platform registered their domains just weeks ago. This “pop-up shop” behavior is a major red flag in the digital advertising world. It’s often associated with fraudulent operations that vanish once they have collected enough payments.

Apple is currently looking to expand its advertising ecosystem. But the pushback from the Apple News community suggests a bumpy road ahead. While there is no legal requirement for Apple to vet every individual ad, the “premium” nature of their brand creates a moral expectation among their customer base.

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