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Apple has "clarified" its iAd policy with regard to third-party networks, perhaps making use of the Google (News - Alert) and other rival platforms impossible, although the move also seems aimed at third-party analytics firms, not most rival ad networks as such.

 

If enforced as written, the rules would prohibit app developers from using AdMob and Google's advertising solutions on the iPhone, Google claims. Apple (News - Alert) CEO Steve Job insists all Apple wants to do is shut out third-party analytics firms, especially those with ties to rival operating systems or mobile device businesses.

 

Jobs says he's cutting out Flurry and other companies that want to track his customers' gadgets by transmitting device-specific information.

 

Jobs does say Apple will allow other ad networks besides Apple's own iAds platform on iPads and iPhones. And he also claims Apple will allow outside advertisers to track their ads' performance.

 

Third party ad networks can run in Apple's AppWorld, but only if they are "independent." What is Google? Not "independent," apparently.

 

Applications may not collect statistical information for advertising, or any other reason, without Apple's written permission, and most suspect that Google will not get such permission. It isn't clear whether other firms such as Microsoft might also fail in that respect.

 

Even if the user's consent is obtained, Apple won't allow the collection of any demographic information for feeding to analytical services such as Flurry, or any purpose that isn't "directly relevant to the use of the application," Apple says.

 

"An advertising service provider owned by or affiliated with a developer or distributor of mobile devices, mobile operating systems or development environments other than Apple would not qualify as independent", leaving considerable room to bar any significant competitor.

 

The largest provider of mobile advertising, and potential competitor to iAd, is AdMob, owned by Google, while AdMarvel is now owed by Opera. Microsoft doesn't have a mobile advertising play just yet, but when it does it too will presumably be banned from the iPhone (News - Alert).

 

Developers can still serve advertisements in iPhone applications, of course, but not if they want to gather the kind of targeting information that makes such advertising so valuable.

 

Here's the revised language for section 3.3.9 of Apple's developer agreement, concerning the use of data collection:

 

3.3.9 You and Your Applications may not collect, use, or disclose to any third party, user or device data without prior user consent, and then only under the following conditions:

 

- The collection, use or disclosure is necessary in order to provide a service or function that is directly relevant to the use of the Application. For example, without Apple's prior written consent, You may not use third party analytics software in Your Application to collect and send device data to a third party for aggregation, processing, or analysis.

 

- The collection, use or disclosure is for the purpose of serving advertising to Your Application; is provided to an independent advertising service provider whose primary business is serving mobile ads (for example, an advertising service provider owned by or affiliated with a developer or distributor of mobile devices, mobile operating systems or development environments other than Apple would not qualify as independent); and the disclosure is limited to UDID, user location data, and other data specifically designated by Apple as available for advertising purposes.

 

Apple's language does appear to be good news for smaller competitors like Greystripe, Millenial Media and Medialets, though it may make them less attractive to potential acquirers

 

Some observers will see the policy as wrong, in the same way that Apple chose to take a "closed" approach to devices and applications running on its Macintosh computers in the 1980s. It isn't so clear that even third-party networks will make all that much sense in the iPhone, iPad or iPod "Touch" environments anyhow, given Apple's refusal to share analytics with even the "independent" networks.

 

Many marketers simply will have to make choices, as campaigns and apps for the Android (News - Alert) ecosystem, the Apple ecosystem and then any third ecosystem, such as Microsoft or Nokia or Hewlett-Packard, will have to be developed separately.

 

Of course, one should have expected such moves. That is the way Apple always has preferred to operate.