Google Introduces Privacy Policy That Facebook Won’t Like

One of the changes that are to come in the next Android update is a changed privacy policy. Google says it tries to develop a solution that will better balance users’ privacy protection and targeting possibilities for advertisers. Still, third-party services that heavily rely on ads will face serious problems with it.

The first of these giants that comes to mind is Meta, with its Facebook, Instagram, and even WhatsApp, which monetizes mostly on advertising. But all the advertisers will feel changes if users start refusing to provide their personal data under the new Privacy Sandbox project that Google started in February 2022. This project is aiming at protecting user privacy by limiting the possibility of collecting data by advertisers.

Not so long ago, all these ad companies faced a similar challenge when Apple implemented its new privacy policy. So, on iOS ad campaigns had to rely on much less precise user data. This experience, though, cannot be transferred to Android, because, as Google states, Privacy Sandbox is based on different principles and offers new settings instead of simply cutting down originally provided possibilities.

On the other hand, Google plans to give advertisers enough time to adapt to changes. The company says it will keep supporting the current advertising features for Android for at least two more years while developing Privacy Sandbox. This decision was made to soften the consequences for the advertisers that can slowly develop new strategies and test them while retaining the old ones.

If you use Android, do you want to hide your personal data from advertisers? Would you rather have your personal details protected or more ad-supported free apps and more personalized ads? Share your opinion in the comments if you please!