Apple is set to launch a new advertising feature on Apple Maps, allowing businesses in the U.S. and Canada to reach customers later this summer. This initiative, termed Apple Business, aims to enhance the company’s revenue streams by integrating ads into its mapping service, expected to contribute significantly to Apple's profits.
Businesses must have a physical location and an Apple Maps listing to participate. They can create ads by uploading images, adding promotional text, and establishing a budget. The ads will appear alongside search results, marked with a blue halo on the map pin and clearly labeled as advertisements, similar to existing ad placements in the App Store.
Apple assures users that their privacy will be prioritized; data related to ad interactions will not be linked to individual Apple accounts. The company emphasizes that personal information remains on users' devices and is not collected or shared with third parties. The ad system will operate on an auction-based pricing model, where advertisers only incur costs when users engage with their ads.