Amazon has several listings of Apple products, ranging from a slew of iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks, but have you noticed that almost none of those listings have ads placed on them? The reason is that a new report claims that Amazon and the California-based giant had entered into an agreement that prevents rival ads from being displayed on the aforementioned product pages. This kind of partnership indicates anti-competitive behavior and may or may not be subjected to further investigation from external departments.

Apple product pages on Amazon are generally free of ads, whereas its closest competitor, Samsung, has recommendations

When Amazon lists competing products on search result pages, they are normally in the form of products or services related to that particular item, as well as items rated ‘4 stars and above.’ With Apple, Insider reports that it and Amazon have entered into a special agreement preventing this kind of activity. For instance, the image below shows the company’s latest M3 Pro MacBook Pro. With a non-Apple listing, a banner would usually be placed on top, revealing a competitor’s product, along with the pricing and review rating.

With the M3 Pro MacBook Pro, instead of a banner, you can see various other Apple products displayed horizontally. Samsung, who is Apple’s biggest competitor in the smartphone space, also has ads displayed on its product pages, such as when searching for the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The new report also states that the ad-free agreement was forced in 2018 when Apple started listing its products on Amazon. In an email previously released by the House Judiciary Committee, Jeff Wilke, Amazon’s former retail chief, wrote the following:

“We understand that Apple does not want to drive sales to competing brands in search or detail pages... On product detail pages, we understand that Apple does not want to see any product placement that recommends non-Apple products.”

Apple spokesperson Fred Sainz has confirmed the arrangement to The Verge, saying that it limits advertising in spaces with certain Apple-related queries. The report does not mention how much Apple compensates Amazon for making these changes. Wilke has also said in the email that Apple would have to purchase the available ad space or pay Amazon accordingly for ad revenue, so some monetary exchange is likely happening, but the exact amount is unknown at this stage.

News Source: Insider