Search engine Google is in the works of allowing its Android users to opt out from being continuously tracked by advertisers through various applications installed on their phone. Google’s decision seems to be on the lines of iPhone maker Apple allowing its users to stay free from being tracked by the advertisers long ago. The change in Google’s policy is expected to be rolled out from late this year with the launch of a new version of Google Play services in a phased manner. The company is first expected to allow its Android users having a device that runs on Android 12 to opt for the new policy and gradually other Android users as well. The company further informed that for other Android version users, the policy will be available by early 2022.
For those who are not aware, the policy change by Google will allow Android mobile users to stop being tracked by advertisers through the use of their mobile applications. The users will be able to restrict personalisation using the unique advertising ID of their Android devices. It is pertinent to note that it is only with the help of the advertising ID unique to the phone advertisers track users and bombard them with various suggestions.
A similar decision was made by Apple last year and the company has also been able to implement the policy change on iPhone devices from April this year with the release of iOS 14.5. Aimed at giving more freedom and choice to the device owner, the American company had termed its policy ‘App Tracking Transparency.’ Finer details of Google’s policy decision remain to be chalked out and the company is working on the process right now. More clarity on the policy change is expected to be shared by the company by next month.
Awareness about data privacy, informed consent, and withdrawing consent is growing around the world and companies like Apple and Google are finding ways to balance a way between information access and data privacy.
