Google isn’t sure if it wants to copy one of the best new iPhone privacy features

Apple recently rolled out the "terrifying" iPhone feature Facebook was so afraid of: App Tracking Transparency (ATT). Announced almost a year ago, ATT is a privacy feature which forces developers that want to track users across apps and services to ask for their permission first. That’s never happened before with companies that make money from online ads and track users to sell more lucrative personalized advertisements. Facebook was very vocal against Apple, and the first stats following the rollout of iOS 14.5 prove that the company was right to be afraid. When given the option, most people will ask apps not to track them online.

Google, which also tracks users and collects plenty of personal data that’s then monetized via personalized ads, said it wouldn’t show the ATT prompts in its iOS apps because it won’t use the tracking method the policy refers to. Google has never criticized Apple as fiercely as Facebook, and Google can’t exactly do it. Unlike Facebook, Google also owns its own mobile operating system. And Android users would certainly appreciate the same privacy features found on iPhone. But Google is reportedly quite hesitant to bring an ATT variation to Android, as the feature might hurt its bottom line.