Google will stop selling ads based on individual browsing history tracked

Google on Wednesday said it would stop selling ads based on a person’s individual browsing on websites, a move that could shake up the digital advertising industry as consumers demand more privacy online.

Last year, the search giant announced it would phase out third-party cookies, little bits of code that can allow advertisers to track user history across the web. Once these disappear from Google’s Chrome browser next year, the company has made it clear that it will not use or invest in alternative tracking technology that can identify people on an individual level.

“If digital advertising does not evolve to address people’s growing concerns about their privacy and how their personal identity is used, we are risking the future of the free and open web,” David Temkin, Google Focused Product Manager on privacy, said in a blog post. “People shouldn’t have to agree to be followed on the web to reap the benefits of relevant advertising.”

The announcement comes as Google’s targeted search and advertising activity comes under increasing attack from lawmakers as well as state and federal prosecutors. The tech giant faces three major antitrust lawsuits, including a landmark US Department of Justice case and another complaint from a bipartisan coalition of states.

Wednesday’s announcement is part of the search giant’s push towards a “privacy sandbox,” designed to allow publishers to target ads to people’s interests without infringing on their privacy. The company has touted breakthroughs in AI like “federated learning,” which relies on Google’s systems getting smarter by using raw data on users’ devices, instead of pushing it to the cloud, from so Google doesn’t actually see the information, but is still learning it.

Google’s statement not to use alternative tracking technologies is sure to bother other players in the ad technology industry who are considering replacing third-party cookies with other software that can track individuals closely, as a method. that uses people’s email addresses.

“We do not believe these solutions will meet growing consumer expectations for privacy, nor resist rapidly changing regulatory restrictions, and therefore will not be a sustainable long-term investment,” said Temkin.

Still, there are limits to updating Google. The changes will not apply to “first party” data, which businesses collect directly from consumers. This includes Google’s own products, like Gmail, YouTube, and Chrome. The changes will also only apply to websites and not to mobile phones, where consumers are increasingly spending their time.

Over the past few years, the tech industry has been forced to shift towards privacy protection as consumers and lawmakers have expressed concerns about the abuse of user data. Since December, Apple has been asking developers of apps on its iOS platform to provide “nutrition labels” that tell people what personal data their apps collect, like financial information, contacts, or browsing history. Google, however, did not provide labels for most of its applications.

Another change from Apple, rolled out in the coming months, requires developers to ask people for permission to collect data and track it across apps and websites. The change stirred Facebook, sparking a war of words between CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Apple CEO Tim Cook. Google, meanwhile, is reportedly considering a less “strict” approach to giving users options over app tracking in its Android operating system.