DuckDuckGo (DDG), a Pennsylvania- based internet privacy firm has developed a new Android OS feature that will prevent veiled third-party trackers from accessing its Android platform.
The feature known as the ‘App Tracking Protection for Android, will have the inclination of the AppTracking Transparency Tool by Apple, with the beta version mirroring the iPhone maker’s iOS controls.
DuckDuckGo Director of product, Peter Dolanjski in a statement while enumerating the concept said:
“The idea is we block this data collection from happening from the apps the trackers don’t own”.
“You should see far fewer creepy ads following you around online,” he added.
Third-party trackers have been discovered to have been hidden in the app code of applications downloaded on the devices of users, with these trackers observing user’s behaviour and inclination through variety of platforms. The third-party trackers with this process develop portfolios about the user to incorporate their purchase preference, demographic data, and different information that can be used to deliver accurate and personalized ads recommendations.
DDG believes that most of the famous costless Android Apps displayed for users contain trackers, with the analysts of the privacy-focused company inferring that 96 percent of them encompass trackers.
With the new feature by DDG helping to block the various trackers, tech giants like Google and Facebook who boasts of the most influential trackers, will no more be able to obtain data and send it to the main servers, which means data will not be available for advertising networks in generating advertisements.
After signing up for the waitlist in DuckDUckGo app setting, users will have to wait for approval from the DDG, and immediately the sign-up steps are done, users can then decide to personalize the feature to be on or off.
The tool while running in the background, works simultaneously as a firewall between any application on the device and the third parties trying to gather data from the user’s device.
The company also added the option that allows users to know when trackers attempt to gather data as they try nudging Android apps for users’ details.
Although the purpose of the feature is to protect users’ data from third-party trackers, the tool is only applicable to trackers the company DuckDuckGo is monitoring. The protecting shield does not also have the ability to secure every application, as trackers will still be able to keep tabs through mobile games and browsers.
Ayoola Faseyi, an Abuja based Journalist with interest in Technology and Politics. He is a versatile writer with articles in many renowned News Journals.
He is the Co-Founder of media brand, The Vent Republic.
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