Google to Overhaul Ad-Tracking on Android Phones Used by Billions (msn.com) 22
The Washington Post reports:
Google announced it will begin the process of getting rid of long-standing ad trackers on its Android operating system, upending how advertising and data-collection work on phones and tablets used by more than 2.5 billion people around the world.
Right now, Google assigns special IDs to each Android device, allowing advertisers to build profiles of what people do on their phones and serve them highly targeted ads. Google will begin testing alternatives to those IDs this year and eventually remove them completely, the company said in a Wednesday blog post. Google said the changes will improve privacy for Android users, limiting the massive amounts of data that app developers collect from people using the platform.
But the move also could give Google even more power over digital advertising, and is likely to deepen concerns regulators have already expressed about the company's competitive practices... It made $61 billion in advertising revenue in the fourth quarter of 2021 alone....
The announcement comes over a year after Apple began blocking trackers on its own operating system, which runs on its iPhones, giving customers more tools to limit the data they share with app developers.... Google contrasted its plan with Apple's, saying it would make the changes over the next two years, working closely with app developers and the advertising industry to craft new ways of targeting ads and measuring their effectiveness before making any drastic changes.
"We realize that other platforms have taken a different approach to ads privacy, bluntly restricting existing technologies used by developers and advertisers," said Anthony Chavez, vice president of product management for Android security and privacy, in the blog post. "We believe that without first providing a privacy-preserving alternative path such approaches can be ineffective and lead to worse outcomes for user privacy and developer businesses."
The Post also includes this quote from the chief security office of Mozilla (which began restricting ad tracking in Firefox several years ago). "Google's two year plan is too long. People deserve better privacy now."
Right now, Google assigns special IDs to each Android device, allowing advertisers to build profiles of what people do on their phones and serve them highly targeted ads. Google will begin testing alternatives to those IDs this year and eventually remove them completely, the company said in a Wednesday blog post. Google said the changes will improve privacy for Android users, limiting the massive amounts of data that app developers collect from people using the platform.
But the move also could give Google even more power over digital advertising, and is likely to deepen concerns regulators have already expressed about the company's competitive practices... It made $61 billion in advertising revenue in the fourth quarter of 2021 alone....
The announcement comes over a year after Apple began blocking trackers on its own operating system, which runs on its iPhones, giving customers more tools to limit the data they share with app developers.... Google contrasted its plan with Apple's, saying it would make the changes over the next two years, working closely with app developers and the advertising industry to craft new ways of targeting ads and measuring their effectiveness before making any drastic changes.
"We realize that other platforms have taken a different approach to ads privacy, bluntly restricting existing technologies used by developers and advertisers," said Anthony Chavez, vice president of product management for Android security and privacy, in the blog post. "We believe that without first providing a privacy-preserving alternative path such approaches can be ineffective and lead to worse outcomes for user privacy and developer businesses."
The Post also includes this quote from the chief security office of Mozilla (which began restricting ad tracking in Firefox several years ago). "Google's two year plan is too long. People deserve better privacy now."
Translated from the Google-ese (Score:5, Insightful)
“We realize that other platforms have taken a different approach - but we make all our money by monetizing end-user data. Since the other platform’s changes are starting to noticeably impacting our bottom line, we need to at least give lip service to making privacy-forward changes while still preserving our core business’ source of income.”
Re:Translated from the Google-ese (Score:5, Interesting)
Not so much "google language" as "corporate language". You'll find this sort of BS pushing in every major corporation today.
And its trickling down to normal people as more and more people have to deal with this BS on the daily basis and start using similar language in everyday lives.
Re: (Score:2)
Hopefully as people see more of it, they will realize it for the shady-ass tactic it is and avoid companies and people that use it.
Re: (Score:3)
“We realize that other platforms have taken a different approach - but we make all our money by monetizing end-user data. Since the other platform’s changes are starting to noticeably impacting our bottom line, we need to at least give lip service to making privacy-forward changes while still preserving our core business’ source of income.”
I think it's just the realization that they've given away the ability for app developers to collect user data for free and now they have to purchase it from google.
Re: (Score:1)
Clearly Google's involvement of the customer in creating this new ad targetting technology will result in a better experience. Uh, no, wait.
Re: (Score:2)
But as TFA notes, these changes will prevent Google collecting the data too.
It would be more accurate to say that Google has decided to shift to users opting in to giving up some user data in exchange for services, and with full consent. That is as required by law in Europe (GDPR). In other words, it's a pre-emptive move to get ahead of any potential privacy regulations or enforcement in the pipeline.
Well yeah. Suicide would be kinda dumb (Score:3)
Well yeah, they aren't going to suddenly cut off all of their revenue starting tomorrow.
If they do nothing, one or more legislatures may cut off their revenue any time. So their challenge is preserve privacy to an acceptable degree, while continuing not get revenue by targeting ads. Also to manage timing of that transition so they have time to adjust their business.
One way they had previously proposed to do that was to get rid of any unique identifier, but have the browser send essentially "I'm interested i
Re: (Score:3)
Also, in a few years EU regulation will force their hand anyway. Already EU websites are no longer allowed to use Google Analytics and CDN's as this means users' IP addresses (a unique identifier) is sent to the USA. A unique advertising ID will suffer the same fate.
"Use of Google Analytics declared illegal by French data protection authority"
https://news.ycombinator.com/i... [ycombinator.com]
"Website fined by German court for leaking visitor's IP address via Google Fonts"
https://www.theregister.com/20... [theregister.com]
Re: (Score:2)
I carefully chose apps (Score:2)
Re:I carefully chose apps (Score:4, Interesting)
Your phone's OS is Android, which is made by Google which gets most of their profits from ads. You never really had control over your phone. Go grab a hammer.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
At that point why not save $100s per year and have a flip phone and keep a TomTom in your car?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Your phone's OS is Android, which is made by Google
Not really true. Parts of Android are from Google, but other parts are very much not. I have an FP4 and I can at least get the kernel sources for that and I suppose I can mess with them. I can also move to Lineage and get the full sources and build system. Planning on doing that later this year when I find some time.
Re: I carefully chose apps (Score:1)
Google says... Google does... (Score:2)
Google will implement a way of tracking everything you do, in a less obvious way, so people stop moaning about their 'privacy'.
Re: (Score:3)
Well. According to the GDPR Google is not allowed to do any tracking of people in Europe unless they have consent and probably will need written (on paper) consent for that. Of course, basically nobody will give that to them. May take a while, but Google Analytics is now quite likely illegal in Europe with two national data protection agencies having found so. I guess in a few years, Google will be prohibited from tracking Android users too, the law is unfortunately slow.
How is this even a thing... (Score:5, Insightful)
[...] data-collection work on phones and tablets used by more than 2.5 billion people around the world.[...]
[...]Google assigns special IDs[...]
I'm old enough to remember a time when a company engaging in such mass surveillance sneaky-sneaky would have resulted in global outrage, a high profile court case and hard time for a few people in charge when found out. How Google and all the other Big Data sumbitches doing this completely openly has been accepted and internalized as the new normal by the people of today, I'll never know.
Utterly disgusting...
Re: (Score:3)
Get with the program. Today we freely give away data that you used to need a warrant to attain. Welcome to the brave new world.
The tiny sliver of anonymity that still exists - paying cash - is even of dubious, and vanishing, value.
The floodgates are not just open. They've been ripped away entirely. There is no going back. No fight remains to be had because no remedies will be effective.
Knives are out for Facebook (Score:2)