Most Android users want an Apple-like anti-app tracking feature

Apple recently launched its controversial App Tracking Transparency feature for iOS. When this option is enabled, the privacy-conscious feature prevents apps from tracking you on the internet and other third-party apps. Ultimately, this would mean that users would have more control over how companies share their personal information for ad targeting. It would also mean people are seeing less necessary apps. But personalized ads, which are sometimes useful, can also get a hit.

With iOS 14.5, Apple iPhone users can deactivate app tracking. So we asked our readers if they would like a similar anti-app tracking feature for Android as well. We gave readers three options to choose from. This is how they voted in our survey.

Should Android implement an Apple-like app tracking transparency feature?

Results

We have published our anti-app tracking survey on our website. Twitterand YouTube and received a total of 35,848 votes across all platforms. For most of the Android users we surveyed, the resounding thought is that they, too, would like an Apple-like function for the transparency of app tracking on their mobile phones.

86% of all respondents supported the feature for Android and felt that this is a step in the right direction for data protection. Meanwhile, 8.7% said they were okay with the current state of affairs on Android regarding app-based tracking.

Only 5.35% of the total number of respondents said they don’t care about apps they track on the internet and other apps.

Your comments

Glenn Gore: Google et al. Enough pursued. I am grateful for the option to stop some of this tracking if I want. And I’m grateful for the option to turn it back on if I ever feel the need to. OPTIONS, something Android users have always mentioned why this OS is so great. So it’s a bit strange when they use this particular option. Interesting.

andres_1: I wouldn’t hold my breath for Google to implement this on Android … haha

Leif Shantz: I used to go to the “I don’t care” club, but the more companies handle my data, the more cautious I am, especially on Facebook.

EasyCare: Apple knows how to market its devices as privacy-friendly because they benefit from their expensive hardware, not through targeted advertising like Google. While this feature is great for consumers, I’m sure most of them have already disclosed their data in other ways (computer social media, email, etc). Personally, I consent to personalized advertising.

Lamar Taylor: I think the key word in this discussion is “transparency”, not privacy. I don’t think anyone expects full internet or social media privacy, but at least we should know when data is being collected and what data is being collected.

Anthorama: You should only implement it in the phone settings and not in every app. This is nonsense, and why this Apple thing is a joke: you can still track anyone with Apple Search Ads, even those who have opted out.

TheOracle: I voted yes. Since Android DoT has activated private DNS, that doesn’t really bother me anymore. Ads and trackers are blocked on all of my devices, apps, VPNs, routers, and browsers. It might not be 100% effective, but it is very close. For those who aren’t as obsessed as me, it should be provided. PS Google and Facebook are by far the worst offenders on my lockdown logs. Google, I don’t mind how deep I am in their ecosystem, but I am as ruthless as possible with the insidious parasite called Facebook.

Albin: There is no doubt that at some point app developers will react by limiting functionality for users who do not accept it. For me, it’s the lack of transparency about what’s aggregated and where it’s being sent or sold to. Google itself has a pretty straightforward tradeoff between data mining and some excellent services. I can use them on a non-commercial Gmail account if I know what I’m doing and what I’m not. Other apps, especially those that require a real personal identity and credit card, should be aware of this.

Dembow: Stop this data protection propaganda. Apple users have nothing to do with their useless devices and now they are desperate to bind people into their boring garden with this privacy OS. What a great way to sell you an invisible product. Just no.

BlackSh33p: Fandroids want to point out how everything can be customized on Android. Why not just consider another customization feature?

Dllemm: I can pay well to keep my operating system development less used for ads and other nefarious reasons.
This was discussed years ago (digital fingerprints) but Apple is the only one working on it. And even that took far too long.

MM_Rafez: I don’t think it’s a good idea for Android. We have to understand that the approaches of Android and iOS are very different. Apple advertises its product as a privacy-based product and can get away with high hardware prices.
But that doesn’t work with Android. Android smartphones are more like value-oriented offerings (with the exception of a few). In this way, the prices for Android-based devices will increase significantly.

Raghavendra N: Android implementing such a feature would also be detrimental to the Google Ads strategy. Confused situation for Android.

Opemilekan Adesunloye: I assume that other manufacturers like Samsung and OnePlus will do this first and possibly force Google to do it.

Matthew Jardine: If I read the fine print in Apple’s privacy policy carefully, I believe they are not as squeaky clean on privacy issues as they would expect anybody to be, but nonetheless, they have taken a few positive steps you are using as evidence of theirs Attitude. App Tracking Transparency is one of them. I totally agree that it should be copied by Google, as well as the orange and green dot feature.

Red Dragon: Tracking is not a problem. It’s not like someone is tracking your location and being a scary to chase you. They use the data to give you discounts and make you a customer for future products. There’s nothing wrong with data tracking. I don’t understand what everyone’s problem is.