Apple confirms that its Maps app will begin showing ads to users "this summer"

One benefit of most of Apple’s hardware and software is that it’s relatively privacy-focused and light on advertising, compared to something like modern Windows or the Roku operating system.

But ads have still crept into various apps and services over time, and Apple confirmed today that its Maps app would begin showing ads to users in the US and Canada starting “this summer.”
The ability for businesses to place ads in the Maps app is just one aspect of a new service called “Apple Business,” which will launch April 14 and offer company-managed Apple accounts, device management for company-owned Apple devices, and easy app distribution for software that businesses use internally.

Microsoft and Google both offer similar administration tools for businesses and other institutions that manage large numbers of users and devices, and Apple says that the Business service will integrate with both Google Workspace and Microsoft Entra ID.