Apple Stops Serving iAds in Apps Targeting Kids

An iOS developer is sharing his story about discovering an Apple policy change that’s affecting iAd applications. Specifically, apps targeting kids.

Developer Mike Zornek sells an app called Dex, a free Pokèmon browser for iPhone, in the App Store.

He was used to seeing bad iAd fill rates from time to time, but nothing like last Thursday when he reportedly had “a particularly awful iAd fill rate of 5%.”

“Then on Friday a 0% fill rate, then on Saturday another 0% fill rate,” he writes on his blog.

Zornek decided to email Apple on the matter and see what they could make of it. As it turned out, Apple was at fault - they had stopped serving iAds for kiddies’ apps.

The letter he received from iAd Network Support is available below:

Hello Michael,

We periodically review the apps in the iAd Network to ensure that all apps receiving ads are aligned with the needs of our advertisers. Currently, our advertisers prefer that their advertising not appear in applications that are targeted for users that are young children, since their products are not targeted at that audience.

We appreciate your understanding.

Best Regards,

 iAd Network Support Apple, Inc. 1 Infinite Loop Cupertino, CA 95014

As of now, Zornek considers his iAd supported version of Dex deceased.

“No warning, no notice and inevitably no respect to the developers who have cenetered [sic] their app’s revenue model around the iAd platform,” the disappointed developer writes.

He believes Apple should target their ads better, as well as make an effort next time and document these kinds of changes before they go into effect, so that developers can take the proper precautions not to lose money.

“Nothing is on the iAd developer page to alert people that the current fill rate for apps and games targeted at kids is zero,” he writes.

As for his app, it will remain free in the short term, but Zornek believes he will be forced to move it to a normal pay per download model.

A free version may still be available, but some of its major features will likely be locked behind the in-app pay wall.