British newspapers have expressed concern. Apple's New ad blocking tool.
News agencies say that this so-called ““Web Cleaner” The financial stability of the journalism world is threatened, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Sunday (May 12), citing a letter written by newspapers to Apple.
The FT said the “web cleaner” is part of an artificial intelligence (AI) privacy feature in Apple's next iOS 18 software update that will remove ads or other unwanted website content.
The letter – sent to Apple's head of UK government affairs – was sent by the industry group. News Media Association (NMA) – argues that professional journalism requires funding “and advertising is an important revenue stream for many publishers.”
The NMA claims that online platforms such as web browsers and social networks are important for giving the public access to journalism and for publishers to “monetize their content in the digital marketplace”.
The letter added that “ad blocking is a blunt tool, which frustrates the ability of content creators to sustainably fund their work and can deprive consumers of important information that would otherwise be Others would have been very useful to them.”
PYMNTS has reached out to Apple for comment but has yet to hear back.
The NMA's efforts come at a time when newspapers are fighting to curb revenue despite AI advances. For example, the eight newspapers he owns. Alden Global Capital Media News Group sued Microsoft and OpenAI last month, alleging that the tech companies used newspapers to Content to train their AI models.
A lawyer for the media news publications told Reuters that tech companies “think somehow they can get away with taking content” without payment or permission.
An OpenAI spokesperson provided PYMNTS with an emailed statement saying the company “puts great care into our products and design processes to help news organizations.”
“While we were not previously aware of Alden Global Capital's concerns, we have actively engaged in constructive partnerships and discussions with many news organizations around the world to explore opportunities, discuss any concerns and provide solutions. busy.”
The lawsuit came as another news organization — News Corp., owner of the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post — denied reports that it had Formed a partnership with Google To develop content and products related to AI.