Android Device IDs Out: Another Step Towards a Privacy First Digital Ecosystem

Google has just announced that Android will no longer have device IDs within the next 2 years. Finally.

This is a welcomed move even if Google is a bit late to the party – Apple has already taken this step in 2021 when it launched iOS 14.

What we know:

·    Android will be using the same privacy sandbox framework as Chrome.

·    Device IDs will be gone within 2 years.

·    The 2-year deadline is intended to allow the wider android ecosystem to identify alternatives for targeting and tracking that respect users' privacy

How does that impact advertisers?

·    We have a very clear view of the impact this has on the mobile digital ecosystem, already having 1-year experience with Apple.

·    Basically, Google is playing catchup here. Just in the same way that we still do not have a clear view of what will be the future of desktop tracking and targeting (FLoC was abandoned, no news on FLEDGE, testing of TOPICS) there is a big question mark if the solutions being presented for Chrome will be the new standard on Android.

·    There is no immediate impact to advertisers. This was an announcement of a future state that is 2 years away.

Ultimately, the change is welcomed, it’s another victory for consumer privacy and the nail in the coffin for the publishers that transact on consumer data without clear consent mechanisms in place on the mobile space.

While this has implications on the way that we target and measure activity on android devices, the 2-year time lag allows for enough time to devise alternative sustainable, scalable, and ethical solutions for targeting and measurement – expect Google and all the MMPs to deliver solutions where aggregated data will take over device-specific activity.

And remember… we already know what this looks like – it's playing catchup with what Apple did 1 year ago. A lot of the methodologies to target and track in the absence of device IDs already exist. And work!