The Privacy Sandbox is a major advancement in adtech, particularly for web and mobile in-app experiences. Google is collaborating with industry partners to develop solutions for targeting and monetization that do not rely on Google Ad ID. Privacy Sandbox for Android (in-app) is designed to prevent apps from tracking users without their knowledge. While the technology is innovative and complex, with several unknowns, its primary goal is to enhance user privacy while maintaining the effectiveness of personalized advertising.

In this blog, we dive into the details of Privacy Sandbox for Android in the mobile in-app environment, offering insights to help marketers and publishers navigate this evolving ecosystem. As marketers prepare for its 2025 rollout, collaboration with Google, MMPs, and SSPs is key to ensuring smooth transitions. The framework prioritizes privacy while still enabling effective ad campaigns, though inefficiencies are expected. Marketers must prioritize transparency and tech proficiency to succeed in a privacy-first advertising landscape.

How are privacy-related industry changes and, more specifically, Google’s Privacy Sandbox, affecting your targeting strategy?

Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework, along with SkAdNetwork changes, has had a huge impact on our ability to retarget campaigns on iOS. Fortunately, there are still enough identifiable users (around 50% globally) to show personalized content and achieve strong results. Still, performance and scale on this OS are not at the levels the industry experienced pre-2021.

SkAdNetwork on iOS is just a measurement tool, but the Android Privacy Sandbox is so much more and has a suite of APIs with a range of targeting capabilities.

The functionality will more or less be the same as it is today, however it will be underneath a layer of privacy-preserving mechanisms. Additionally, it’s a completely new tech stack and will undoubtedly have some teething problems, but we’re already partnering with Google, MMPs and SSPs to test the framework and build solutions to help marketers make a smooth transition in 2025. 

How will the Privacy Sandbox ensure marketers remain compliant when running personalized and effective ad content? 

With the Privacy Sandbox framework, there’ll be no need for marketers to break any rules or circumnavigate privacy-related issues to hit their performance goals. The Protected App Signals API, for instance, will allow us to run user-level dynamic product ads (DPAs) in privacy-preserving ways. 

What should marketers consider when selecting tools for advertising campaigns in the privacy-first era? 

Marketers should prioritize working with advertising partners that are transparent and clearly understand the technology required to manage mobile advertising campaigns. 

At Remerge, for example, we’ve invested in a Research and Development team that’s been working on the Android Privacy Sandbox for over 1.5 years. We’re working directly with Google and our ad tech partners to test the framework and shape how it will function upon its expected 2025 rollout. As part of this, we conducted the first DSP/SSP on-device bidding test with Verve and developed a proof-of-concept for custom audience management with our MMP partners. 

Why is it important for marketers to be open and honest about how they use data, and how can they talk to users in a way that makes users trust them more?

Until now, marketers and ad tech companies haven’t done a great job of selling why they need user data, and that needs to change. 

Marketers and ad tech companies should talk simply and openly about how they use personal data and have that information available for anyone who is interested. Any app based business should clearly communicate this to users when they start using their app — something that will be vital if we end up with an opt-in framework on Android. 

Are there any examples where you’ve seen new privacy-preserving marketing methods improve campaign performance or the way you interact with target users?

No, and it’s unlikely. But that's to be expected. Privacy has a cost and it's a new paradigm. 

Even with all the bells and whistles of the Privacy Sandbox, there are going to be inefficiencies that someone’s margin is going to have to swallow. 

On Android, the costs will likely be spread out over the publisher, seller, buyer and advertiser. 

Thus, those who best understand the Privacy Sandbox will be in the strongest position to survive in a privacy-focused future and deliver the best results for their advertisers.