British newspaper groups warn Apple over ad-blocking plans, FT reports

(Reuters) -British newspaper groups have warned Apple 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 on Sunday.

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 newspaper reported.

News Media Association (NMA), an industry body, raised concerns about how the planned tool would affect digital revenues in the industry, the FT said, citing a letter sent to Apple's UK government affairs chief on Friday.

The letter, according to the report, added that professional journalism required funding and "advertising is a key revenue stream for many publishers".

In the letter, the NMA expressed concerns over editorial accountability if artificial intelligence tools were used to selectively remove or change the content of articles.

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

Apple and NMA did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

NMA is an association of UK-based national, regional and local news media organizations, according to its website.

(Reporting by Harshita Meenaktshi in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Alex Richardson)

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