We all know that Google watches our every step when we use its search engine to browse the internet. But it seems that it isn’t quite satisfied with this situation and wants even more. That why it’s working intensely on a project that involves creating both an Android and an iOS app that will track every mobile user’s movement (the apps users use, the websites they visit, how much time we spend on each action, etc.). These data will be constantly sent to Google.
It is known that Google will collect these data only with mobile users’ consent. There is even a reward for letting the search giant collect your mobile data (Google Play credits rewards, we should think). Currently Google doesn’t have significant presence on mobile devices, unlike on desktop computers where it’s hard to do something without Google’s knowledge.
Tracking mobile usage
Google already knows all about our habits, so when we use applications such as YouTube, Google Drive or Chrome, we are sending information to Google, as we are when we are using applications that use its advertising system, AdMob or AdSense.
As we all well know, Google’s mobile operating system, Android, is already collecting data to improve its apps. The Google Maps app, for example, always feeds back location metrics to improve its performance. Rumors say that Google will make anonymous all of the data it collects to guarantee the privacy of its participants. Taking into account Google’s previous errors, where private data were revealed, Google will have to offer transparency with regard to how will the app work and the data it collects.
One of the questions that everybody asks themselves is whether Apple will allows Google to collect information about iOS users. Apart from being a privacy issue, this would mean that Apple’s advertising system, iAd, would be giving Google’s AdMob a very valuable information about its users.