February 6, 2026
From iNews to iScam?
I Now Assume That All Ads on Apple News Are Scams
Users roast Apple News ads as clickbait hell — AI grandmas, new sites, trust tanking
TLDR: Apple’s Taboola-powered News feed is being slammed for scammy, AI-looking ads and “going‑out‑of‑business” pitches tied to just-registered domains. Commenters split between “all ads are scams anyway,” fears of brand‑damaging “enshittification,” and jokes about a blurred Gemini watermark on the supposed “retiring owner” photo.
Apple’s ad deal with Taboola is back in the stocks after readers blasted Apple News for stuffing feeds with sketchy, AI “going‑out‑of‑business” promos and copy‑paste clickbait. A writer pointed to fresh‑minted domains (mustylevo.com, solveraco.com, shiyaatelier.com) and a “Tidenox” ad featuring a suspiciously perfect “retiring owner” photo. The Better Business Bureau has warned about these shutdown‑sale scams, and the vibe is: premium app, garage‑sale ads. Even Daring Fireball once called the feed “chumbox”‑ish.
The comments section lit up. One camp went full doom: Apple is “enshittifying” itself to squeeze ad dollars, with one user tying it to the rocky rollout of “Apple Intelligence.” Another group asked the obvious: why pick bottom‑shelf ads when brand trust is Apple’s crown jewel? Then the jokers arrived: a commenter claims the “retiring owner” pic still shows a blurred Gemini watermark—cue memes about the AI grandma running a liquidation sale.
The split is stark. Cynics shrug, “All ads are scams,” while others expect a $13‑a‑month service to look, well, premium—even with ads. The consensus heat? Whether it’s Apple or Taboola, people say the feed feels like clickbait hell, and if trust keeps sliding, they’ll swipe left on Apple News fast.
Key Points
- •Apple signed a 2024 deal with Taboola to serve ads in Apple News.
- •The author says Apple News ads have worsened and many appear scam-like, some likely AI-generated.
- •WHOIS checks show several advertised domains were registered very recently (late 2025 to early 2026).
- •An ad for Tidenox claims a 26-year legacy, but its domain was created on 2025-05-29 and is registered in China, per the author.
- •Apple News+ costs £13 and still displays ads; the author criticizes Apple and Taboola for allowing such ads.