Apple recently introduced its App Tracking Transparency feature which is set to release with iOS 14.5. The new tool requires developers to ask for permission to track iOS users across apps for ad targeting. Now, Google is also reported to be working on a similar feature of its own. A recent Bloomberg report has said that Google is exploring an alternative to Apple's App Tracking Transparency feature in an effort to limit data collection and cross-app tracking on Android.
The Bloomberg report says that Google's version would be "less stringent" than that of Apple's. It said that Google is trying to balance the rising demands of privacy-conscious consumers with the financial needs of developers and advertisers. In a statement to Bloomberg, a Google spokesperson said that the search giant is always looking to balance privacy with an app ecosystem that's healthy and ad-supported. "To keep advertisers happy while improving privacy, the discussions around Google’s Android solution indicate that it could be similar to its planned Chrome web browser changes," the report said.
Apple's App Tracking Transparency feature has come under fire from companies who claim that the new policies will harm small businesses. Facebook has been one of the most vocal and most prominent critics of Apple's new feature. Apple says that the new features are designed to stand up for users. It says that users should know when their data is being collected and shared across other apps and websites.