Some Publishers Concerned About Apple News+ Intercepting Traffic From Websites in iOS 14

Apple did not inform three large publishers about a change in iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur that directs users who tap on an Apple News+ story in Safari to the ‌Apple News‌ app instead of the publisher's website, according to Ad Age. The report claims that two of the publishers are evaluating whether to terminate their relationship with Apple News+ as a result of the change, but for now are taking a "wait-and-see approach."

apple news banner
From the report:

Two of the executives at the publishers told Ad Age they receive decent traffic through their deal with Apple, but are now questioning how it will impact their bottom line, as they each have greater monetization opportunities through their owned properties.

In a statement shared with The Verge's Dieter Bohn earlier this week, Apple said that the change provides publishers with "increased engagement and revenue opportunities on Apple News," adding that users have the option to adjust their preference. On iOS 14, the toggle switch can be found in Settings > News > Open Web Links in News. On macOS Big Sur, open the Apple News app and click on News > Preferences… in the menu bar.

Apple is committed to creating the best experience for Apple News+ subscribers. This change offers subscribers seamless access to the content that is part of their News+ subscription right in the News app or publisher app, as well as providing publishers with increased engagement and revenue opportunities on Apple News. News+ subscribers can set their link preference in their News settings.

Publisher reception to Apple News has been mixed. In June, The New York Times pulled out of Apple News, noting that the service does not "align with its strategy of building direct relationships with paying readers." To the contrary, The Wall Street Journal this week said that its Apple News‌ partnership provides the publication with a "significantly new audience," including more women and young people.

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
maxresdefault

These 5 Features Will Make the iPhone 17 the Biggest Update in Years

Monday July 22, 2024 4:02 pm PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 16 models that we're expecting to see in September are going to be quite similar to the iPhone 15 models, but rumors suggest that Apple is making big changes in 2025. We've been hearing hints of an all-new device in the iPhone lineup, and it may be the most expensive iPhone Apple has offered to date. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. New 'Slim'...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
iOS 18 on iPhone Feature

Everything New in iOS 18 Beta 4

Tuesday July 23, 2024 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple released the fourth beta of iOS 18 today, introducing small changes to a number of features throughout the operating system. There are no big additions in this beta, but Apple is continuing to refine existing settings and design choices. Apple plans to continue updating iOS 18 over the next few months, with the update set to be released this fall. We've rounded up all of the changes...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Launch Early Next Year With OLED Display, 48MP Camera, and More

Monday July 22, 2024 7:22 am PDT by
The fourth-generation iPhone SE will offer a series of major upgrades over the current model, the leaker known as "Ice Universe" claims. The information was listed in a post on Weibo, which also detailed the specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup. As previously rumored, the fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to feature Face ID and USB-C, marking a major upgrade from current and previous ...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...

Top Rated Comments

Expos of 1969 Avatar
52 months ago
Apple doing something and not informing those who have a vested interest? It can't be! :eek:
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kc9hzn Avatar
52 months ago

Apple needs to change this before public release. Lots of news websites depend on ad revenue from website traffic to survive.
That’s more the news sites’ problem than mine. I don’t use Apple News, but I use ad and tracking blocker apps. If I used Apple News and they let me read the articles in the News app, they’d actually get money from me. If they force me to visit their ad and tracker laden websites, with their unrelated overlay videos and distracting in-bound link units, I’m sorry, I’m going to use an ad blocker just to make your site usable. Offer a product good enough to get me to pay, then we’ll talk. I’m not opposed to paying for news, I’m just opposed to paying for low quality news or to dealing with ads on a site I pay to access.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
52 months ago
Apple needs to change this before public release. Lots of news websites depend on ad revenue from website traffic to survive.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DotCom2 Avatar
52 months ago
JEEEEZ. Everyday lately I read about Apple being a bully about something. Just stop it Apple.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
52 months ago
I'm really irritated whenever I type in a search in Safari, it offers a result to a news article, and when I tap it, it opens in Apple News instead of the actual website with that article. Will this toggle fix that?

Is there a way to get the "go to website" button back in Apple News? Apple News is nice when it works, but it's not uncommon for special graphics or interactive charts to just vanish in Apple News, thus you need to go visit the proper website to use it. This is like being forced to use Reader Mode all the time in Safari - it's nice when it works, but sometimes it doesn't and you need to be able to turn it off.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PTLove Avatar
52 months ago

So Apple is acting as a news aggregator as Google does, not forwarding traffic to the original site and therefore do not creating hits for them, and they are wrong?


Context: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/google-makes-billions-from-news-without-paying-publishers-study-2051255
No, this is quite different. Google gives synopsis of articles, however links to the original article on the original website. Apple is straight up by default not linking to those websites.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)