UK newspaper groups warn Apple over planned "web eraser" tool to block ads: Report

The UK's newspaper groups have warned Apple Inc that any move to impose a so-called "web eraser" tool to block advertisements would put the financial sustainability of journalism at risk, the Financial Times reported.

FT reported that Apple is preparing to include an AI-based privacy feature in the Safari browser in the next iOS 18 software update that will remove ads or other unwanted website content.

The media industry body News Media Association (NMA), which counts The Times, The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph as members, flagged the tool as it raised concerns about how the planned tool would affect digital revenues in the industry, the FT said. The newspaper cited a letter sent to Apple's UK government affairs head. The letter seen by FT, added that professional journalism required funding and "advertising is a key revenue stream for many publishers", the report stated.

The NMA's letter reportedly said that "ad-blocking is a blunt instrument, which frustrates the ability of content creators to sustainably fund their work." It added that this "could lead to consumers missing important information which would otherwise have been very useful to them”.

The NMA also raised and emphasized its concerns over editorial accountability if artificial intelligence tools were used to selectively remove or change the content of articles. The FT report, pointing to NMA's argument, stated that online platforms such as web browsers and social networks are important routes for the public to access journalism, but also for publishers to “monetise their content in the digital marketplace”. 

NMA has called for a meeting between publishers and Apple to discuss the potential implications of the web eraser, according to the FT report.