(New York) Google, following the example of Apple, announced on Wednesday that it wanted to build a new advertising targeting system on devices running its Android operating system in order to limit the sharing of data with third-party users and between applications. .
Posted at 9:19 a.m.
“Our goal with [ce nouveau système] is to develop effective and privacy-enhancing advertising solutions, with users knowing that their information is protected,” the company said on its blog, noting that this initiative would take several years.
Google recalls that 90% of the applications offered on its Google Play platform are free, largely thanks to advertisements.
The social network Facebook, for example, uses sophisticated tools to study the behavior of members of its network on the Internet and then suggest that advertisers specifically target the people most likely to be interested in their advertisements.
But “the industry must continue to evolve the way digital advertising works to improve user privacy,” says Google.
Apple has already embarked on this path for all devices running its iOS system, forcing mobile application publishers to ask their users if they want to be tracked once they exit the application.
This change was justified by respecting data confidentiality, but does not prevent the company itself from collecting information. To the detriment of companies like Facebook or Google which can no longer offer advertisements as targeted as before.
For its new system, Google claims to want to improve respect for the privacy of users “without jeopardizing free access to content and services”.
“Other platforms have taken a different approach to ad privacy, sharply limiting the technologies used by developers and advertisers,” Google said on its blog, calling it a “not effective” approach. .
The group says it wants to take its time and work with developers and regulators and says it will continue to offer the advertising tools currently on its platform “for at least two years”.