Google will prohibit tracking using advertising identifiers unless users opt-in

Google will prohibit apps from tracking advertising identifiers unless users have personally consented to it. Experts believe that this is an attempt by Google to compete with Apple, which in April by default blocked app developers from accessing the unique device identifier.

According to the publication, on June 3, the company wrote in an email to app developers on Google Play that it wants to “give users more control over their data and help improve security and privacy.”

Android users can already opt out of personalized advertising, but developers have been able to bypass these settings through alternative device identifiers. Now Google is fighting them.

According to AdExchanger, apps could use the ID for non-advertising purposes such as analytics and fraud prevention, but next month (July) Google will talk about an “alternative solution” for those purposes.