Nov 13, 2023 11:46:00

It is reported that Apple has entered into a secret agreement with Amazon and is receiving ``large-scale preferential treatment'' to eliminate intrusive advertisements from search results and product pages.

The bond between the two companies is strong, with Amazon establishing

Apple's official storefront in 2018 and excluding resellers not authorized by Apple from its marketplace . It is newly reported that ``Apple has entered into a secret agreement with Amazon and is receiving large-scale preferential treatment to reduce ``competitors' junk advertisements'' displayed on search results and product pages.''

Amazon gives Apple 'massive preferential treatment' in secret deal, report claims - 9to5Mac
https://9to5mac.com/2023/11/10/amazon-apple-special-deal-online-storefront/

Amazon reportedly blocks 'junk ads' on Apple product pages
https://www.engadget.com/amazon-reportedly-blocks-junk-ads-on-apple-product-pages-045018125.html

In September 2023, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit against Amazon for ``obstructing competition through illegal acts and inflating prices by exercising monopoly power.'' It was also criticized for intentionally increasing the number of junk advertisements that make people feel uncomfortable.

However, according to a report by Business Insider, search results and product pages for Apple products such as the iPhone and iPad offer a ``clean experience'' with fewer ads and recommended competing products. .

For example, when I entered 'iphone' in the Amazon search field, the top advertisements were for iPhones and Apple official power adapters.

On the other hand, when I entered 'microsoft surface' in the search field, an advertisement for Apple's iPad was displayed at the top.

The search results list for 'microsoft surface' also included banner ads for competitors' products, but these banner ads are not displayed when searching for Apple products.

There are also differences between Apple and other companies in the number and type of advertisements displayed on individual product purchase screens. Apple's

iPad product page has no advertisements until the bottom.

However, when I looked at the product page for Samsung's Galaxy Tab S9+ , I saw ``Sponsor'' advertisements and recommended products with ``4 stars or more'' displayed everywhere.

According to an email shared by the House Judiciary Committee, Apple asked Amazon in 2018 to stop cluttering product pages with ads. Jeff Wilke, Amazon's retail CEO at the time, wrote in an email, ``We understand that Apple does not want to promote competing brands on search or detail pages.''

Amazon reportedly declined the request from Apple in 2018, but left open the possibility of a financial transaction. 'We cannot change the organic search algorithm to return only Apple in the search results when Apple's product line is searched,' Wilk said in an email, but added, 'Apple does not have access to these placements. 'or compensate Amazon for lost advertising revenue,' he reportedly added.