Google Considering 'Less Stringent' Version of Apple's App Tracking Transparency Feature for Android

Starting with iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and tvOS 14.5, all of which are currently in beta testing, Apple will be requiring developers to receive a user's consent to track their activity across other apps and websites and/or access their device's random advertising identifier. Users will be presented with a prompt with options to "Allow Tracking" or "Ask App not to Track" when opening apps that wish to track their activity.

app tracking transparency prompt ios 14
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Nico Grant, Google is exploring a similar measure for Android, but in a "less stringent" way. The report claims that the proposed solution could end up being similar to Google's planned Chrome web browser changes:

To keep advertisers happy while improving privacy, the discussions around Google’s Android solution indicate that it could be similar to its planned Chrome web browser changes, the people said. The company said in 2020 that it intended to phase out third-party cookies in Chrome within two years. Google reaffirmed that plan earlier this year. Cookies are a way for websites to track users around the web to serve them more personalized ads.

"We're always looking for ways to work with developers to raise the bar on privacy while enabling a healthy, ad-supported app ecosystem," a Google spokesman said in a statement issued in response to the report.

Google has a web-based solution known as the Privacy Sandbox that allows advertisers to target groups of people with similar interests, rather than individuals, and the report claims that Google will likely to take a similar approach with Android.

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Top Rated Comments

autrefois Avatar
55 months ago
“Less stringent”

In other words “Less transparent”
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chabig Avatar
55 months ago

"We're always looking for ways to work with developers to raise the bar on privacy while enabling a healthy, ad-supported app ecosystem,"
Translation: "We're always looking for ways to appear to raise the bar on privacy without really raising the bar on privacy because that would interfere with our healthy, ad-supported business model."
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SDJim Avatar
55 months ago
"How can we make Android look good without actually having to admit head-on that we're compiling every keystroke from Android users???"
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
luvbug Avatar
55 months ago
Overwhelming people with ads, targeted or not, leads some folks (me, for instance) to block them all (thank you Brave!). Advertisers also fail to understand that some people aren't hyper-consumers and are *never* going to click on that ad anyway (me again). On the rare occasion that there's something I'm in need of, I do my own research to determine what to buy and where to buy it. If you're throwing ads in my face, I'll consciously discount your product/service on the spot. With the Web being what it is, put your $$ into your product, not ads, and let word-of-mouth on the 'net do the rest.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mike-G Avatar
55 months ago

RIP 100% FREE Ad-based Apps

Most could be gone from both App Stores by this time next year !

It will give rise to Engineering Accomplishment-based Apps !
They will still have ads. Just not targeted ads. This is not the end of advertising in apps.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djcerla Avatar
55 months ago
Google: less of everything.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)