Welcome to the privacy wars

Across the major tech companies, the issue of privacy is turning into a tool for defending oneself from rivals or going after them, with significant implications for advertising.

Google brings the Sandbox to Android

Following a trailer last year, Google has announced that it is launching the beta trial on a small percentage of Android 13 devices, according to a blog post.

• Given that 70% of the world’s mobile devices run on Android, this change is a pretty big deal.
• These changes will see ad targeting shift away from individual mobile device identifiers and toward the use of a suite of new technologies.

Meta touts transparency and points to its AI

Meta has introduced new transparency features, which involve expanding explanations on its “why am I seeing this ad?” tool:

• These will now include descriptions of its use of machine learning in ad delivery and explain how activity both on and off platforms informs the ML systems.
• In a blog post, Meta's global director of ads and monetization privacy gives the example of “liking a post on a friend’s Facebook page or interacting with your favorite sports website”.

Apple looks to internal data for financial play

According to Bloomberg News, the Apple Pay Later service announced last year might include past spending with Apple, including an evaluation of devices owned by applicants, and whether they have applied for an Apple credit card.

• Adequate credit checking is becoming a bigger and bigger issue, with governments increasingly checking that providers are taking adequate steps to ensure users can afford to make repayments.
• Payments are becoming increasingly important for Apple, with its most recent earnings results showing record growth in payment services.

Why it matters

Ultimately, these three examples come down to the trust needed in an intermediary, both from the end user and from the advertising clients. More important, perhaps, is the sheer convenience that platforms can offer to either side: do they solve real problems and make life easier – for consumers as much as clients?