An open letter written by Tim Cook back in 2014 contrasted Apple with ad-funded services where customers are the product. That letter has been removed from the company’s website ahead of ads coming to Apple Maps for the first time.
Apple commenter John Gruber has suggested that incoming CEO John Ternus should pull the plug on this and the rest of the company’s ad business …
Gruber quotes from that 2014 letter:
A few years ago, users of Internet services began to realize that when an online service is free, you’re not the customer. You’re the product. But at Apple, we believe a great customer experience shouldn’t come at the expense of your privacy.
Cook acknowledged that the company does sell ads to app developers, but said this was done under very strict privacy protections. Gruber says he has no doubt that this remains true today, but questions the optics of what has become an increasingly grubby business.
