With a so-called Privacy Sandbox initiative, Google wants to improve data protection for the Android operating system in the future.
“Today, we’re announcing a multi-year initiative to build the Privacy Sandbox on Android, with the goal of introducing new, more private advertising solutions. Specifically, these solutions will limit sharing of user data with third parties and operate without cross-app identifiers, including advertising ID. We’re also exploring technologies that reduce the potential for covert data collection, including safer ways for apps to integrate with advertising SDKs.” — the search engine group said in a blog post.
The privacy sandbox for Android is based on initiatives for the web and should offer the opportunity to “improve user privacy without putting access to free content and services at risk.”
We could say that Privacy Sandbox would be to Android what App Tracking Transparency is to iOS.
The first phase for such a concept had already become known in June 2021 last year. Google announced in an email to Play Store developers on June 2, 2021, that it wants to “give users more control over their data and strengthen security and privacy.” Accordingly, Play Store users should be able to deactivate the advertising ID in the future.
In any case, the implementation of Privacy Sandbox on Android will not imply an immediate elimination of advertising tools as we know them today. According to Google, they will continue to support existing “ad platforms” for at least two years while new solutions are incorporated.
