Google is making things more private for Android users, here’s how

We all see ads based on our interests, browsing data and even for things we talk about around our devices. Sometimes it feels like the apps can curate ads even from our thoughts. To contain that feeling, Google introduced the Privacy Sandbox initiative on Android that allows apps and services to show relevant ads, but more privately.

Beta program for Privacy Sandbox started earlier this year and now Google is expanding it to more users from across the globe. Google has also added new Ad privacy settings.
Android users have been getting this “New ads privacy features now available” popup for a while. Now, the notification has a new line — “Now, there’s more choice over the ads you see while protecting your identity”.

What’s new with Google’s Privacy Sandbox
Google is basically offering users more choices over privacy settings and ad tracking with the update. Basically, this will ensure the privacy of users while still offering apps and services to deliver ads to users.
How does Privacy Sandbox work
Privacy Sandbox keeps users’ identity private without using cross-app, Ad ID. It basically uses the interests saved on the device.
In the latest Android 13 update, specifically for Pixel devices, there are some new privacy options related to ads. To access these settings, you can go to “Settings,” then find “Security & privacy,” and from there, select “More privacy settings” and finally “Ads.”
Once you’re on the Ads settings page, you’ll notice a new design with three toggles for different preferences:
1. Ad topics: This feature lets Android personalise ads for you based on the apps you’ve recently used. For example, if you’ve been using apps related to Arts & Entertainment, Dance, Local news, Movies, Outdoors, Real Estate, or Stocks & Bonds, Android may use this information to show you personalized ads. But don’t worry, you have the freedom to remove or block specific topics that you don’t want to be used for personalized ads, and Android will automatically delete this data at regular intervals. This is called the “Topics API.”
2. App-suggested ads: With this option, apps you use might try to figure out your interests and then suggest ads from other apps accordingly. However, you can have control over this by using the “FLEDGE API,” which allows you to block individual apps from sharing this information for ad suggestions.
3. Ad measurement: Advertisers and apps may request data from Android to measure the performance of their ads. This is where the “Ad measurement” toggle comes into play. If you turn it off, it means that Android won’t share this data, and Google assures us that ad measurement information is regularly deleted for privacy purposes