Apple sneaks iAd opt-out into iTunes Store update

Apple has made “material” changes to its iTunes privacy policy, including a section related to the company’s upcoming iAd mobile advertising platform that gives users the option of opting out of the service. “Apple and its partners use cookies and other technologies in mobile advertising services to control the number of times you see a given ad, deliver ads that relate to your interests, and measure the effectiveness of ad campaigns,” the text says. “If you do not want to receive ads with this level of relevance on your mobile device, you can opt out by accessing the following link on your device: http://oo.apple.com. If you opt out, you will continue to receive the same number of mobile ads, but they may be less relevant because they will not be based on your interests. You may still see ads related to the contrent on a web page or in an application or based on other non-personal information. This opt-out applies only to Apple advertising services and does not affect interest-based advertising from other advertising networks.” Notably, the opt out must be performed from the device, and if a user has multiple devices, each must be opted out separately. Apple is expected to roll out its iAd platform to iOS 4 devices beginning July 1.