iAd Content Guidelines
Contents
iAd Content Guidelines 3
Summary 3
Purpose 3
Audience 3
Certification 3
General Guidelines 3
Audio 3
Animation 4
Imagery 4
Defamatory Content 4
Profane Content 4
Data Collection 4
Linking Out 4
Pricing and Price Claims 4
Apple Marketing Guidelines 4
Restricted Content 5
Age-‐Sensitive Content 5
Alcohol 5
Contests, Sweeps, and Games of Chance 5
Image Rights and Logo Usage 5
iTunes Gift Cards or Download Content Codes 5
Categories That Require Additional Review and Approval 5
Unacceptable or Prohibited Content 5
Adult-‐Related Content 6
Controlled Substances 6
Deceptive Messaging 6
Gambling or Controlled Activities 6
Unacceptable or Prohibited Products 7
Rights and Responsibilities 7
Document Revision History 9
2012-‐04-‐10 | © 2012 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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iAd Content Guidelines
Summary
Purpose
These guidelines apply to iAd rich media ad units for banners and associated core units appearing on Apple’s
iAd Network in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. These guidelines also apply to iAd for Developers banner ads.
These guidelines are not intended as legal advice. Adherence to these guidelines is not necessarily sufficient
to meet the standards of state/provincial or federal laws. Apple encourages each advertiser and its agency to
consult with legal counsel.
Apple reserves the right to reject any iAd rich media ad unit not adhering to the minimum set of guidelines
during the certification process, or any ad that Apple feels is not appropriate for the iAd Network or its users.
Audience
Creative agencies and iAd rich media ad unit content creators should read this document.
Certification
All iAd rich media ad unit content will be certified under these guidelines, as well as under the iAd Unit
Certification Guidelines.
General Guidelines
Audio
Audio must be user-‐initiated (with the exception of intro videos) and appropriate for all audiences. For example,
audio that is suggestive, sexually oriented, profane, vulgar, violent, and so on, is not allowed.
2012-‐04-‐10 | © 2012 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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iAd Content Guidelines
General Guidelines
Animation
Repetitive or rapid flashing, blinking in excess, or visually stressful animations are not allowed. Banners can
loop only three times, and the total animation cannot exceed 15 seconds.
Imagery
Imagery that is not representative of the product or service, is pixelated or unclear, or appears to have
functionality but does not function (for example, radio buttons or menus) is not allowed.
Defamatory Content
Anything that facilitates or promotes defamatory, libelous, slanderous, or unlawful content is not allowed.
Profane Content
Any content that facilitates, promotes, or uses profanity (including distasteful wording or phrases) is not allowed.
Data Collection
Ads that collect data from users must, at a minimum, clearly identify the advertiser and properly disclose that
it (or its agent) is collecting data. Users must also be provided with a link to the privacy policy of the
organization(s) collecting or receiving the data. Furthermore, the iAd Network must approve of all data collection
within the ad prior to it being submitted for certification.
Linking Out
Linking out of the ad is strictly prohibited unless the iAd Network grants an exception in advance.
Pricing and Price Claims
Offers made in ads must be clear to users and cannot misrepresent the true nature of the offer.
Apple Marketing Guidelines
Using the Apple name, products, logo, or other brand attributes without prior approval is not permitted. Ads
cannot mimic or resemble the Apple brand or the user interface of Apple products. Please see the Apple iAd
Marketing Guidelines for more details.
2012-‐04-‐10 | © 2012 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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iAd Content Guidelines
Restricted Content
Restricted Content
Age-‐Sensitive Content
Ads promoting age-‐sensitive products and services must be appropriately age targeted.
Alcohol
Ads for alcoholic beverages must be limited to beer and wine only, and must be appropriately age targeted.
Furthermore, there can be no images or videos that show the consumption of the alcohol product. All text,
images, video, and audio must depict age-‐appropriate people and scenes.
Contests, Sweeps, and Games of Chance
Promotions must offer a fair opportunity for all entrants to win, and must be administered by a credible
sweepstakes administration company.
Image Rights and Logo Usage
An advertiser’s use of a third-‐party logo is included at its own risk. It is assumed that the inclusion of any
intellectual property, logo, graphic, artwork, audio, film, celebrity, or person is properly licensed for use by the
advertiser.
iTunes Gift Cards or Download Content Codes
Any promotion, use, or mention of iTunes Gift Cards or Content Codes must be reviewed and approved by the
iAd Network and iTunes prior to the ad being submitted for certification.
Categories That Require Additional Review and Approval
The following categories of ads (and any other that Apple may designate) may require additional policy review
and approval at Apple’s sole discretion: alcohol, promotions/sweepstakes, political, religious, and
pharmaceuticals.
Unacceptable or Prohibited Content
As part of Apple’s commitment to providing the highest-‐quality advertising experience, the iAd Network will
not accept ads containing the forbidden content listed in this section.
2012-‐04-‐10 | © 2012 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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iAd Content Guidelines
Unacceptable or Prohibited Content
Adult-‐Related Content
This content includes:
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Imagery that may be frightening or overly graphic.
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Text or imagery that explicitly or implicitly references any adult subject.
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Gratuitous or explicit imagery of the human body and implied sex scenes, including images of individuals
or people in positions or activities that are sexual or sexually active.
Text or imagery that facilitates or promotes hate toward an individual or group of any race, sex, creed,
national origin, religious affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or language.
Controlled Substances
For example:
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Content that directly or indirectly facilitates or promotes the sale or use of any tobacco products, illegal
drugs, or weapons.
Content that facilitates or promotes beer, wine, or hard liquor is not allowed on any section/site designed
for or targeted to underage individuals.
Deceptive Messaging
This content includes:
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Messaging for free offers and sweepstakes, such as, “You have been chosen to win a free…”.
Creative messaging that promotes quasi-‐free items (items that require any type of payment, administration
costs, carrying charges, or other fees, and hence are not truly free items).
Creative messaging that promotes games of chance, if participation is conditional upon purchase.
Messaging that identifies the particular target for the campaign—for example, “Single men, 18–24, who
live in Washington State, click here!”.
Gambling or Controlled Activities
For example:
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Content that facilitates or promotes gambling of any kind.
●
Content that facilitates or promotes illegal contests, pyramid schemes, or chain letters.
●
Content that may result in bodily harm or risk (even if not illegal)—for example, contests for chasing a
hurricane or falling down stairs.
2012-‐04-‐10 | © 2012 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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iAd Content Guidelines
Unacceptable or Prohibited Products
Unacceptable or Prohibited Products
As part of Apple’s commitment to providing the highest-‐quality advertising experience, the iAd Network may
not accept ads containing or relating to certain products or services. At its sole discretion, Apple Inc. reserves
the right to reject or remove any ad at any time.
These products or services include, but are not limited to, the following:
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Adult products and services
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Cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, and other tobacco products
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Products or services that bypass copyright protection, such as software, cable, or satellite signal descramblers
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Counterfeit, fake, or bootleg products, or replicas or imitations of designer products
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Dating or personals sites that promote casual sex, or international match-‐making services
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Degrees or transcripts for sale or offered by nonaccredited universities or programs; “life experience”
degrees; academic paper-‐writing services; or the sale of prewritten essays, theses, and dissertations
Recreational drugs or drug paraphernalia ads, including those promoting products and services designed
to bypass drug tests
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Firearms, ammunition, or fireworks
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Get-‐rich-‐quick schemes, “free money,” or similar money-‐making opportunities or offers
●
Short-‐term loan advertisers, such as payday loans or cash advances, that are not members of at least one
of the following associations: Community Financial Services Association of America, Online Lenders Alliance,
or Canadian Payday Loan Association
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Gambling establishments, online casinos, or any site with online gambling as its central theme
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Products and services that claim to repair bad credit
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Products and services of questionable legality—for example, falsely obtained passwords, pyramid schemes,
products designed to evade speed-‐enforcement laws, countries subject to U.S. embargoes or trade sanctions
Securities (stocks, bonds, notes, warrants, options, and so on) or insider tips on a particular stock or
commodity
Usenet/newsgroup or P2P file-‐sharing networks that allow users to download or access files directly from
other users
Apple Inc. competitors
Rights and Responsibilities
It is the advertiser’s responsibility to ensure that:
2012-‐04-‐10 | © 2012 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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iAd Content Guidelines
Rights and Responsibilities
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All advertising complies with all applicable federal, state/provincial, and local laws or regulations.
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An advertisement does not violate the intellectual property or other rights of third parties.
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All claims made in an advertisement have been substantiated before the advertisement is scheduled to
appear.
Users are not being misled or deceived.
Advertising that includes warranties, guarantees, or other types of assurances complies with all applicable
laws, regulations, or guidelines.
Users are not deceived into providing personal information without their knowledge, under false pretenses,
or to companies that resell, trade, barter, or otherwise misuse that personal information.
All advertisements are COPPA and CARU compliant.
All content appearing within the iAd rich media ad unit has the appropriate rights and licenses, whether
that content is imagery, logos, or text.
2012-‐04-‐10 | © 2012 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Document Revision History
This table describes the changes to iAd Content Guidelines .
Date
Notes
2012-‐04-‐10
New document describing content guidelines for iAd rich media ads.
2012-‐04-‐10 | © 2012 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Apple Inc.
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