The other side of the coin is that Apple announced last year that users of its one billion iPhones will be able to choose whether or not they want their internet activity to be recorded for the purpose of ad targeting. Apple claims that the change demonstrates the company’s commitment to privacy, but critics point out that it does not prevent the company from tracking its users’ movements.
Apple’s decision has caused a commotion in the internet community, with Facebook parent company Meta estimating that the restriction will cost the company $10 billion in revenue this year as a result. Less data will have a significant impact on the precision of the advertisements that Meta and other companies can provide, and as a result, on the pricing that they can charge. When asked about the timing of the changes, Google stated that they would be implemented as soon as possible.
Google Plans to Limit Ad tracking
Android-powered devices have an identity provided by Google, which allows advertisers to build profiles of people’s habits and deliver advertisements that they might be interested in. In a statement, Google stated that it is working on measures to further protect users’ privacy, such as “limiting user data sharing with third parties and operating without cross-app identifiers, such as advertising ID.”
“We recognise that some platforms have taken a different approach to advertisements privacy, openly prohibiting existing technology used by developers and advertisers,” the company said in a statement, drawing a contrast between its plans and those of Apple.
While Google claims that the changes will protect users’ privacy, the internet giant’s already dominant position in the digital advertising market may be strengthened as a result of the modifications.
