Google launches Privacy Sandbox beta for Android phones

With Privacy Sandbox, Google wants to balance upholding user privacy and also not hurting the developers to generate revenue

Exactly a year ago, Google announced Privacy Sandbox, a new ad-tracking model that comes with improved user privacy features on its Android and web platforms.

Compared to Apple, which gives full control to the user to completely block apps and website publishers from tracking them for targeted ads, Google, with Privacy Sandbox wants to balance upholding user privacy and also not hurting the developers to generate revenue.

Later in April 2022, Google set the ball rolling by inviting app and web developers to test the Privacy Sandbox for Chrome browser and offer feedback.

Now, after months of testing, the search engine giant is bringing the same to Android phones.

Currently, apps and websites indulge in user/device fingerprinting to create a profile. Every time a user via particular device searches for items to purchase or look for information, the data points such as keyword, device ID, user ID, and location are noted and marked to the profile. And, over time, people will begin to see ads related to the keywords searched on e-commerce platforms or search engines.

Privacy Sandbox feature on Android. Credit: Google

With Privacy Sandbox, Google will offer tools to developers to ensure users' identity is protected at all time and are grouped under anonymous identities having similar search behavior. Neither Google nor app developers will ever know the real identity of the person.

Privacy Sandbox beta will be available for devices with Android 13. However, it will be made available to a limited number of public testers and app developers to check out the new features and can also send feedback to Google.

"The Privacy Sandbox Beta provides new APIs that are designed with privacy at the core, and don't use identifiers that can track your activity across apps and websites. Apps that choose to participate in the Beta can use these APIs to show you relevant ads and measure their effectiveness," Anthony Chavez, VP, Privacy Sandbox at Google.

Interested users can apply for the Privacy Sandbox beta programme (here).

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