A new Apple software update, iOS 26, could result in significant financial losses for Republicans due to its message filtering capabilities aimed at combating spam and unwanted messages. The update targets political messages by sending them to a separate inbox without alerts or notifications. This change could cost the National Republican Senatorial Committee over $25 million in ad revenue alone, leading to potential losses of up to $500 million for the entire Republican Party.
The committee’s internal memo warns that this shift would severely impact GOP fundraising efforts and voter mobilization strategies. With 70% of small-dollar donations coming from text messages and 60% of mobile devices using iPhones, the filter changes could cripple critical communications like Election Day reminders and rapid response messaging.
Apple announced the update in June, allowing users to screen messages from unknown senders and directing them to a separate folder. Users must manually mark these messages as “known” to transfer them to their main inbox. The new feature also silences all texts until a user accepts them.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has argued that it complies with rigorous standards in its political text campaigns, but the memo suggests that iOS 26’s changes could undermine these efforts. With only weeks left before the public release of the update, the committee urges groups to “push back” against Apple’s decision, as it may impact voter contact and messaging strategies.
Source: https://www.deseret.com/politics/2025/07/29/apple-feature-could-harm-gop-fundraising