Google Starts to Improve Android App Privacy

Google's plan to limit data tracking to cover apps on its Android-baed smartphones.

12:50 21 February 2022

Google has confirmed that its Privacy Sandbox project, which aims to limit the amount of user data that advertisers can gather, is to cover its Android-based smartphones. 

 

Google's Chrome browser currently uses third-party cookies, which use people's browsing history to target adverts. The giant technology firm confirmed that this will be phased out by 2023.

 

In a blog, Google confirms that the Privacy Sandbox is designed to limit the sharing of users' data and "operate without cross app identifiers, including advertising ID." Identifiers, which are used by apps to collect information, will be kept in place while Google works "with the industry" on a new system. 

 

"We're also exploring technologies that reduce the potential for covert data collection, including safer ways for apps to integrate with advertising SDK (software developer kits)," the blog added.

 

Rival Apple currently enforces developers to ask permission from users before tracking them. Based on statistics, US users are choosing to opt-out of tracking 96per cent of the time. 

 

Google's blog did not name Apple, but referred instead to "other platforms" which it said, "have taken a different approach to ads privacy, bluntly restricting existing technologies used by developers and advertisers".

 

"We believe that - without first providing a privacy-preserving alternative path - such approaches can be ineffective," it added.