SAN FRANCISCO, March 24 - Apple announced plans to launch paid advertising on Apple Maps in the U.S. and Canada this summer, stepping into a space dominated by Google.
The new ads will appear above organic search results. Businesses can claim their physical locations using updated Apple Business Tools launching next month.
Apple emphasized that its privacy framework remains intact: location data and ad interactions won’t link to Apple accounts. Personal data stays on-device and is neither collected nor shared.
The move signals Apple’s strategic shift amid regulatory pressure on its app commission revenue and declining search payments from Google due to AI-driven search disruption.
Critics, including Meta and European publishers, may renew antitrust scrutiny as Apple expands its ad business while restricting rival data access.
Apple also announced it will make its device management tool free for businesses, removing prior fees and simplifying deployment for enterprise users.