Google is adopting new privacy restrictions that will prevent tracking across apps on its Android devices, following a similar move by Apple last year that disrupted advertising practices for many companies. Google stated it is developing new privacy-focused alternatives to its advertising identifier, which is a unique string of characters that serves as a code for each device. These digital identifiers often help digital advertising companies track and share information about consumers.
The changes may impact major companies that have relied on user tracking across apps, including Meta (the parent company of Facebook), according to CNBC, as reported by العربية.نت.
**$10 Billion Losses**
After the privacy policy change on iPhones last year, Meta suffered significantly from its impact, predicting that the step would reduce the social media company's sales by about $10 billion this year. This news contributed to wiping out $232 billion from the company's market value in a single day, resulting in the social media giant's market value dropping to below $600 billion, down from over $1 trillion in June.
While Meta struggled against Apple's changes, it expressed support for the way Google plans to implement its privacy modifications. Graham Mudd, Vice President of Product Marketing, Advertising, and Business at Facebook, said on Twitter: "It is encouraging to see this long-term collaborative approach by Google to protect user privacy." He added, "We look forward to continuing to work with them and the industry on privacy-enhancing technology through industry consortia."
Moreover, Google stated it would continue to support current identifiers for the next two years, giving other companies time to implement changes.
**Obstructing Advertisers**
Apple's modifications reduce targeting capabilities by restricting advertisers' access to the iPhone user identifier. Google criticized Apple’s approach in a blog post without naming the company. Anthony Chavez, Google's Vice President of Android Product Management and Privacy, wrote: "We recognize that other platforms have taken a different approach to advertising privacy, imposing explicit restrictions on the technologies currently used by developers and advertisers." "We believe that - without providing an alternative path that prioritizes privacy - these methods can be ineffective and lead to worse results for user privacy and developers' businesses."
