Current ways of privacy protection works to block third party advertisers from selling user’s private data for marketing purposes. Although this approach works in the favor of users, however it imposes a threat to the free resources available on the Play Store that depend on monetization from the digital advertising industry. 

To cope with this, Google has comes with amazing privacy ideas that will facilitate advertising industry and at the same time offering robust privacy to users.

The old way (currently available) of Google which is called as the Advertising ID system, protect users’ privacy which is compromised by app developers who sell private data to ad networks. This system works by offering the autonomy to users to opt-out of in-app advertisements that come from third party trackers.

The new privacy framework by Google is called Privacy Sandbox (originally for Chrome) which is now extended for Android apps.

Privacy Sandbox will work on solutions that offer developers innovative ways to monetize their apps while at the same time deterring users’ data from leaving their devices. 

It also plans to introduce safer ways to connect with Software Development Kits (SDKs); a piece of code that lets applications connect to third party services such as analytics tools or in-app ads.  

Privacy Protective Solutions are the only way around

Google states its Privacy Sandbox as the only privacy protective alternative for businesses, and developers to offer these stakeholders an environment where they could thrive without hurting users’ privacy.

Competitors on the other hand have used a different approach towards protection of user privacy, states Google. And that approach is restricting developers and advertising agencies to access user’s information completely. 

Google considers this blockage of information as depriving developers and business from technology and tools. Google therefore views Sandbox as the ultimate solution for the problem of privacy on web and android applications. 

With this privacy centered approach, Google can offer developers and businesses a safe way to advertise and access useful tools.

How Google’s Idea of Privacy Protection will work for Digital Advertising Industry

While third party trackers exorbitantly track your personal information; helping them determine your choices and behavior for marketing purposes, fortunately there’s safe room to allow marketing agencies to generate targeted advertisements without tracking your personal information.

Just so that you know, the personal information includes: first name, last name, location, keyboard type, cellular carrier name, country, microphone input/output, time zone, behavioural (taps, page views) and many many more. 

Visit how Apple deceives its users with its ATT privacy control method that would still send user information to the third party advertiser even when users select the “Do not allow tracking” option. This is because Apple has a narrow view of the definition of “Tracking”. Surprising isn’t it?

Now Google’s Privacy Sandbox methods (listed below) work by allowing marketers to advertise without letting user information flow out from the device. The methods are listed at Google’s Privacy Sandbox website and summarized as follows:

Topics are specific categories of the user interests and are inferred from the type of apps installed on users’ Android phone. These topics allow advertisers to generate relevant content without requiring user’s private information. 

FLEDGE is a new way of showing ads on Android applications. The user information and relevant ads are stored within the user device instead of going out to external advertisers. This way marketing is enabled in a user friendly environment.

SDK Runtime is a privacy protection method that aims to run an SDK separate from the app’s code thereby restricting access to user’s data on device. 

The above three (just a few of many Google’s new methods) are in the design process and are to be completed in a time frame of at least two years, says Google.

Google’s initiative against the privacy violation and personal data tracking by agencies is a critical step towards a more sustainable and safe online world where users can access free resources while advertising agencies function freely.