For over a decade, I have been critical of Taboola (and its one time rival, Outbrain), equating them to the internet’s venereal disease that never goes away. In 2017, when the two companies merged, it became clear that what was the herpes of the internet was mutating into a super bug. I said as much on Twitter. Well, that day has come, and even Apple is now infected.
No way I want to pay to let Taboola and its terrible advertising re-enter my information streams. Apple’s decision to strike a deal with Taboola is shocking and off-brand — so much so that I have started to question the company’s long-term commitment to good customer experience, including its commitment to privacy. As it chases more and more revenue to appease Wall Street, it’s clear Apple will become one of those companies that prioritize shareholders over paying customers and their experience.
Om Malik
It never ceases to amaze me how Apple fans maintain such skewed perception of their revered corporation. Apple hasn’t been “committed to good customer experience” at least since they removed the headphone jack from iPhones; they have been caught artificially limiting battery capacity to incentivize people to replace their iPhones; more recently they were dragged kicking and screaming into upgrading to USB-C and RCS by new EU regulations. Their whole App Tracking Transparency initiative was a poorly feigned move to grab advertising revenue from Facebook, while Apple was cashing in billions of dollars from a deal with Google that clearly wasn’t designed for the benefits of consumer privacy. It’s blindingly obvious to anyone with an ounce of objectivity that Apple would do just about anything to increase revenues and please stockholders.
This deal with Taboola is indicative of Apple’s monopoly power over its ecosystem as well. It tells us that Apple feels comfortable degrading the consumer experience to squeeze more revenue out of its existing user base – a user base that have become so trapped in the ecosystem, so oblivious to alternatives, that Apple expects little to no consequences on its sales.
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