Google: If you don’t want us to track your phone – just get another tracking ID!

Online & Mobile tracking Today noyb.eu filed a formal GDPR complaint against Google for tracking users through an “Android Advertising ID” without a valid legal basis. The data collected with this unique tracking ID is passed on to countless third parties in the advertising ecosystem. The user has no real control over it: Google does not allow to delete an ID, just to create a new one. Complaint filed against the Google Tracking ID (PDF) Buy a phone, get a tracker: Every time you buy a new Android phone and happily turn it on for the first time, Google places a unique tracking ID on your phone. Just like a “digital license plate” the tracking ID allows Google and countless third-parties to surveil users. “In essence, you buy a new Android phone, but by adding a tracking ID they ship you a tracking device.” - Stefano Rossetti, privacy lawyer at noyb.eu EU Law requires user choice. Under GDPR, the strict European privacy law, users must consent to being tracked. Google does not colle