Apple invented a new type of viral advertising that can track users in social media

Jim Edwards reports:

Apple has been granted a patent for a new viral advertising management system that can track ads or media content as it is shared via different methods, such as email, texts and social networks like Facebook and Twitter. The patent also says that it can store users’ names, addresses, and age in a database.

This does not mean that Apple is going to launch a viral advertising product — the company has a long history of focusing on devices and apps, not advertising. Nor does it mean that Apple is going to start tracking your consumption of social media.