Apple is now advising App Store developers that it will reject any application submitted for review if the location-aware capabilities of the iPhone API is used to provide the user with location-aware ads, MacNN has reported. The move could be a signal that the company itself plans to move into the space, and that wouldn’t be that surprising.

Consider that Apple did look into a buyout of AdMob, which ended up being purchased by Google. It bought out mobile advertiser Quattro Wireless, and has said it wants to offer its developers advertising solutions within their apps.

Add this all up, and it certainly seems like Apple is ready to move into the mobile advertising space — and is clearing out any possibe competitors to do it. This is Cupertino’s M.O., so its not that surprising. Developers are certainly speaking out on the issue, such as Craig Hockenberry of Twitterific.

“Looks like Apple is going to keep location-based advertising to themselves,” he said- not surprisingly in a tweet on Wednesday.

I can certainly see why Apple would like to do this, but i certainly do view it as quite anticompetitive. If this is used as a way to give Quattro the leg up on advertising on the iPhone, I’d think it would be frowned upon by competition regulators. Then again, Apple has been doing things like this for years, and nothing has ever been done…

 
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