It was first Facebook that started asking iOS users if they wanted to allow tracking of their activity for advertising purposes, until Apple, with iOS 14.5, directly launched App Tracking Transparency. Basically, this function allows the user to decide whether the apps installed on the mobile can track your activity on other apps and websites to display targeted advertising. And that is precisely what will soon be coming to Android.
It is Google itself which, on its advertising identifier support page, reports that “from the end of 2021
First of all, on Android 12; later for everyone
A few days ago, in its developer blog, Google announced that all Android applications that will appear on Google Play from 2022 will have to tell the user what types of data they collect and store, and how they use this information. But now, in addition, it will allow us to prevent them from doing so.
In a new step to increase transparency and improve privacy, Google explains that, as part of the update of Google Play services scheduled for the end of 2021, the advertising ID will be deleted when the user is excluded from ad personalization from Android settings.
To avoid personalized ads, you need to go to mobile settings and, in the Google section, go to Services> Ads> Disable ad personalization
For years, Android users can opt out of receiving personalized ads
However, this does not prevent businesses from accessing advertising identification (ID). After the aforementioned update, if the user wishes, the applications that attempt to access the advertising identifier will receive a string of zeros which will not be used to track activity.
According to Google, this limitation will come in phases: first, it will affect the apps running on Android 12 From the end of 2021, and thereafter, it will be extended to all apps running on devices compatible with Google Play in early 2022.