Google mulls anti-tracking app feature for Android

San Francisco: After Apple, Google is now considering developing an anti-tracking feature for its Android ecosystem to create app transparency for the users.

Google said in a statement to The Verge on Thursday that they are "always looking for ways to work with developers to raise the bar on privacy while enabling a healthy, ad-supported app ecosystem". The Android alternative may resemble some of the upcoming privacy controls planned for the Chrome browser and may not be as tough as the Apple's app tracking feature.

The company, however, did not directly disclose that an anti-tracking privacy measure for Android is in the works.Apple's much contested privacy feature that will require app developers to seek permission from users to track them for ad targeting will be launched with the next iOS 14 beta, the company has said.

The iPhone maker is planning to release the feature to all sometime this spring.While Apple has positioned the feature as a safeguard for user privacy, it has also faced criticism from others including Facebook which runs ad networks.Besides those that run ad networks, the new policy is also expected to hurt the bottom lines of those companies paying for the ads.Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has argued that the iOS 14 privacy changes will impact the growth of millions of businesses around the world.