Google said Wednesday that it will restrict advertisers’ ability to track users of Android phones and other devices. It joins Apple in taking steps to strengthen privacy for U.S. consumers, a sea-change for the digital ad industry.
Anthony Chavez, vice president of product management for Android Security & Privacy, said in a blog post that the company will also develop other ways for software developers and businesses to reach mobile users while limiting sharing of people’s personal data, noting that the company wants to “raise the bar for user privacy.”
Until recently, Google included a unique identifier on Android devices, called Advertising ID, that allowed marketers to see what a user was doing across all apps, allowing companies to build a comprehensive picture of that person’s interests and activities. Wednesday’s move limits apps’ ability to capture that information.
The post offered few details on what the more private advertising will look like. The company said it plans to support current ad technology for at least two more years.
Google’s move follows Apple’s decision last. year to limit user tracking on iPhones. Apps on iOS, from dieting trackers to mobile games, must now ask for permission every time they track someone. About three-quarters of iOS users choose not to be tracked, according to Flurry Analytics. That’s caused waves in the multibillion targeted advertising market, including two of four Big Tech companies.
Apple’s privacy push has already slammed Meta, the parent of Facebook and Instagram. The company said this month that privacy changes would cost it $10 billion this year — an admission that contributed to a record stock drop, wiping $300 billion off its market value. Meta’s stock fell further on Wednesday morning, dropping 3.4% in early trading after Google’s announcement.
Some 85% of global cell phone customers use Android, according to IDC.
Google pioneered Advertising ID, a string of digits that identifies a particular phone and allows advertisers to target users based on their phone activity. Last year, the company said it would move away from Advertising ID on mobile and restrict the use of third-party cookies in its Chrome web browser.
Privacy advocates have criticized targeted ads as invasive, and lawmakers in Congress have introduced bills that would severely restrict it.
Meta has settled multiple lawsuits alleging it tracked users after they logged off and scanned users’ faces without their consent. Last month, four attorneys general sued Google, accusing the company of tracking users’ locations and lying about it.
Alphabet criticized Apple’s privacy changes in its Wednesday blog post, calling it a “blunt” approach that was ineffective and that could “lead to worse outcomes for user privacy and developer businesses.” The company implied that simply turning off tracking would threaten users’ ability to get free mobile content.
“Mobile apps are a core part of our everyday lives. Currently over 90% of the apps on Google Play are free, providing access to valuable content and services to billions of users. Digital advertising plays a key role in making this possible,” the company said in its post.
Alphabet also said it will seek feedback on its changes from developers, regulators and privacy advocates.