Google to Limit Ad Tracking On Android Devices as It Ups Privacy Efforts

Google has announced plans to limit ad tracking on its Android operating system running on billions of devices, worldwide, as it seeks to enhance user privacy.

Google’s Android software is used on roughly 85 percent of smartphones globally. Any changes to Android could therefore impact the data from billions of users.

Currently, the internet search giant assigns an identity to Android-powered devices, which enables advertisers to have a profile of people’s online habits and thus send them ads they might be interested in.

“Our goal is to develop effective and privacy-enhancing advertising solutions, where users know their information is protected, and developers and businesses have the tools to succeed on mobile,” Google said in a statement.

Google indicated the timing of its announced changes, saying that it plans to support existing ads platform features for at least two years adding that it will provide substantial notice ahead of any future changes.

The company said it is working on ways to better protect users’ privacy, which would limit sharing of user data with third parties and operate without cross-app identifiers, including advertising ID.

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While Google noted that the changes would protect users’ anonymity, there’s a possibility that it could also strengthen the dominance the tech giant already holds over the digital advertising industry.

Google’s parent Alphabet pulled in over $60 billion in the fourth quarter of 2021 in ad revenue, which makes up over 80 percent of its income.

Meanwhile, googles rival Apple, which has about 50 percent of the smartphones has already moved to address the sensitive privacy issue on its iPhones.

Apple announced in 2021 that users of its one billion iPhones in circulation can decide whether to allow their online activity to be tracked to target ads.