Apple Awarded Patent To Deliver Ads Based On How Much You Can Afford
CUPERTINO (CBS SF) -- Apple was awarded a patent Thursday for a system allowing it to deliver mobile ads to customers based on the amount of money the company thinks you have in your bank account.
Apple's new technology is designed to "target groups of users sharing a common profile which may be selected to increase the likelihood of the users responding to the advertisements and purchasing the advertised goods and services," the patent application read.
Apple could use the technology to compare those user profiles "based on the amount of pre-paid credit available to each user."
The technology helps target users who can afford to pay for items they are advertising by tracking their credit and debit cards, increasing "the likelihood of the users responding to the advertisements and purchasing the advertised goods and services."
Apple CEO Tim Cook has made recents statements saying the company is not interested in monetizing users' personal or financial data.