Android 16: a major shift for the privacy regime
The mobile tech is now on the state of disarray with the release of Android 16 developer preview. Among the things highlighted by this release, there are rather radical shifts in Google’s privacy policies.
From pointless to useful we can now classify the concept of a redesigned privacy dashboard.
Today, the Android operating system, for example, has a privacy panel in which you can see which permissions have been requested by applications in the last day. Similar to the permissions statistics on iPhone, with Android 16, this tracking continues for a week. This is an added bonus for individuals who cannot spare time to keep checking dashboard regularly.
A visual approach to privacy
One more aspect that differentiates Android is that it also coherently uses graphics to explain privacy. This is because it gives a “pie chart” of which of the permissions were enjoyed most including the camera, microphone, location and then “Other”. What this system offers is familiarity with permission usage at a glance to determine if it requires further investigation.
Apple’s Privacy Advantage
Of course, it is also necessary to mention that Apple also provides lots of information concerning the privacy of its products. This includes privacy features such as app privacy reports including the connected applications to the external servers, details regarding which domains are linked and the times they are connected.
Thus, there is no doubt that Google and Apple have their advantages in the sphere of protection of users’ private information. Even though Google could benefit from the mass of information available from Apple, the latter could use Android’s visual concept.
Millais can be seen as the herald for a new digital era where Android 16 brings forth an important check post in the protection of privacy on mobile phones. What Apple will do with these new features remain to be seen.
