Google's Android Privacy Policies Are Starting to Look Like Apple's on iOS

Google announced a policy update that requires Android app developers to shore up their user-tracking policies in a move that mirrors the ongoing war of words between the online advertising giant and iPhone-maker Apple. The Google Play policy update will restrict app developers' ability to access and share the Android advertising ID, a resettable mobile user ID (commonly referred to as a MAID) primarily used for ad targeting and tracking. "Starting in late 2021, when a user opts out of interest-based advertising or ads personalization, the advertising identifier will not be available," reads the policy update, which will accompany the August introduction of Android 12. Under the pending update, MAIDs will be removed altogether when a user opts out of personalization using advertising ID in Android12 settings. Instead, those attempting to access requests will receive a string of zeros in place of the identifier. Potential loopholes According to several sources, it will still be technically possible for app developers, and their monetization partners, to access Android user’s MAID, in spite of the initial opt-out request. This is because those IDs have also historically been used for other purposes such as attribution and measurement. "You did have the ability to reset [the Android MAID]; you could enable limit ad tracking," explained Mark Kellogg, director of technical partnerships at mobile measurement provider Kochava. " … It still made it available, but a flag was appended to all of the requests indicating how to treat the devices’ ID.” Google’s approach is more advertiser-friendly while still offering consumers enough of a choice to compete with Apple.Nicole Perrin, principal analyst, eMarketer "Google suspected, probably rightfully so, that that flag was not being universally respected," surmised Kellogg. "So this will technically enforce that … this is just a step in making sure that networks comply with Google’s data.” A Google spokesperson confirmed the changes and directed Adweek to its "usage of Android Advertising ID" terms and condictions on the Google Play developer page. Still a contrast with Apple The polarity between Apple and Google when it comes to "preserving user privacy" or "maintaining an ad-funded internet" is seen by many as a proxy for their wider rivalry. While Google's Android privacy policy updates emulate earlier moves by Apple to phase out the back-door collection of IDFAs (the iPhone-maker's MAID), there are differences that divulge Google's reliance on advertising. For instance, Google's policy guidance indicates that Android developers can still use proprietary identifiers, such as an app user's email address, for ad targeting, provided this is clearly articulated in their terms of service. This is in contrast to the policy requirements of Apple's recent iOS 14.5 update, which states that all access to Apple's MAID will be denied once a user opts out of tracking. "Google is catching up to a change Apple made in 2016, where they started zeroing out the IDFA on iOS for opt-out," according to Alex Austin, CEO of Branch Metrics. "From our data, the opt-out rates on Android are sub-5%, so this will have a negligible impact on metrics." Public posturing? Apple's lack of clarity in how it is enforcing the terms articulated latest in its iOS 14.5 update leads some to question of whether or not it was just an attempt to further its brand positioning on privacy. Austin added, "Since it's starting to look like iOS 14.5 … was more of a marketing promotion than a policy change, I imagine Google was looking for a marketable change they could make to say they care about privacy too." Nicole Perrin, principal analyst at eMarketer, said the move was in keeping with how many expected Google to balance its messaging to both advertisers and the public. "Google is taking an opt-out approach as opposed to Apple's opt-in approach," she added. "Google's approach is more advertiser-friendly while still offering consumers enough of a choice to compete with Apple from a privacy perspective." Wayne Blodwell, CEO of The Programmatic Advisory, pointed out how Google's game of catchup with Apple will raise concerns for app developers on how to monetize in the Android ecosystem. "Google is keen to find privacy-first alternatives, so it'll be interesting to follow the announcements coming soon on how they do that," he added. Morning Consult Names Google, PayPal and Microsoft the Most Trusted Brands of 2021