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Apple Adopts Universal Texting Standard

Apple has made a significant move away from the iMessage exclusivity that has dominated its environment for more than ten years and toward the adoption of a universal texting standard. This action is anticipated to close the messaging gap between Android and iPhone users, representing a big step toward seamless cross-platform communication.

For years, iPhone users have enjoyed the benefits of iMessage, an exclusive messaging platform that offers enhanced features, including read receipts, high-quality media sharing, and end-to-end encryption. However, the downside was the notorious "green bubble" dilemma, where Android users received messages in a different format, devoid of the enhanced functionalities available on iMessage. This created a sense of division in the messaging experience.

Apple's decision to embrace a universal texting standard is a welcome change, as it signals a departure from the walled-garden approach that has defined the company's messaging strategy. The move is expected to eliminate the disparities between iPhone and Android users, creating a more inclusive and integrated messaging environment.

Adopting a universal texting standard is not only a boon for users but also a strategic move by Apple to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving tech landscape. With increasing users relying on cross-platform communication, the demand for interoperability has never been higher. Apple's decision to collaborate with Android in this endeavour is a testament to the company's commitment to user-centric innovation.

While the specifics of the universal texting standard are yet to be fully revealed, the potential benefits are already generating excitement among tech enthusiasts. Interoperability between iOS and Android devices will enhance the overall user experience and foster a sense of unity in the digital communication space.

The IT community is excited about the beneficial effects of Apple's revolutionary decision to remove the boundaries that have long divided iPhone and Android users in the area of texting. In terms of encouraging open communication, the development of a global texting standard is a big step forward, paving the way for a more connected and cooperative digital future.

Google Announces Privacy Sandbox on Android to Restrict Sharing of User Data

 

Google announced on Wednesday that it will extend its Privacy Sandbox activities to Android in an effort to broaden its privacy-focused, but less disruptive, advertising technologies beyond the desktop web. To that aim, Google stated it will work on solutions that prohibit cross-app tracking, similar to Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework, essentially restricting the exchange of user data with third parties as well as removing identifiers like advertising IDs from mobile devices. 

Anthony Chavez, vice president of product management for Android security and privacy, stated, "The Privacy Sandbox on Android builds on our existing efforts on the web, providing a clear path forward to improve user privacy without putting access to free content and services at risk." 

Google's Privacy Sandbox, which was announced in 2019, is a collection of technologies that will phase out third-party cookies and limit covert monitoring, such as fingerprinting, by reducing the number of information sites that can access to keep track of users online behavior. 

The Alphabet Inc. company, which makes the majority of its revenue from advertising, says it can safeguard phone users' data while still providing marketers and app developers with new technology to deliver targeted promotions and measure outcomes. According to Anthony Chavez, vice president of product management for Android Security & Privacy, the proposed tools for the Android mobile operating system would limit the app makers' ability to share a person's information with third parties and prohibit data monitoring across several apps. Google stated the tools would be available in beta by the end of 2022, followed by "scaled testing" in 2023. Chavez said in an interview that the best path forward is an approach “that improves user privacy and a healthy mobile app ecosystem. We need to build new technologies that provide user privacy by default while supporting these key advertising capabilities." 

Google is aiming to strike a balance between the financial needs of developers and marketers and the expanding demands of privacy-conscious consumers and regulators. The company is gathering feedback on the proposal, similar to how its Privacy Sandbox effort is gradually building a new online browsing privacy standard. Google's initial idea was met with derision from UK authorities and lawmakers, but the corporation has subsequently proposed serving adverts based on themes a web user is interested in that are erased and replaced every three weeks. 

Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, has been at odds with Apple over the company's App Monitoring Transparency tool, which allows iPhone users to turn off tracking across all of their apps. According to executives, Google's YouTube has taken a minor financial hit as a result of the technology. In other words, it makes it more difficult for marketers to verify whether their iPhone advertising was effective. 

According to Chavez, the Android Privacy Sandbox would enable tailored advertising based on recent "topics" of interest, and enable attribution reporting, which will tell marketers if their ad was effective.