Security News > 2022 > February > Google Bringing Privacy Sandbox to Android to Limit Sharing of User Data

Google on Wednesday announced plans to bring its Privacy Sandbox initiatives to Android in a bid to expand its privacy-focused, but also less disruptive, advertising technology beyond the desktop web.

"The Privacy Sandbox on Android builds on our existing efforts on the web, providing a clear path forward to improve user privacy without putting access to free content and services at risk," Anthony Chavez, vice president of product management for Android security and privacy, said.

Apple's anti-tracking changes on iOS and iPadOS are expected to cost ad-driven companies like Meta Platforms $10 billion in revenue in 2022, with the social media firm calling it a "Pretty significant headwind for our business." Google also dubbed ATT as a "Blunt" approach that can be ineffective and could "Lead to worse outcomes for user privacy and developer businesses."

Google will require that apps declare the "Com.google.android.gms.permission.AD ID" permission to query the advertising identifier on devices running versions Android 12 and above, at the same putting it out of reach of apps that target children.

The new system is also expected to include a FLEDGE API for Android that tracks users' behavior inside an app and slots them into groups for "Custom audience targeting." Furthermore, Google is debuting what it calls the SDK Runtime to "Reduce undisclosed access and sharing" of a user's app data and usage by third-party SDKs. The ad-tech overhaul arrives a week after the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority gave its stamp of approval to the company's efforts to develop the Privacy Sandbox initiative across the web and apps on Android and design it in a manner that addresses competition concerns and benefits consumers.

Google said its goal with Privacy Sandbox on Android is to create "Privacy enhancing advertising solutions, where users know their information is protected, and developers and businesses have the tools to succeed on mobile."

News URL

https://thehackernews.com/2022/02/google-bringing-privacy-sandbox-to.html