Google’s latest policy change on user tracking has drawn sharp criticism from privacy advocates, who call it “a blatant disregard for user privacy.” The new rules, effective Sunday, allow advertisers to collect more user data through “fingerprinting”—a method Google had previously condemned.
Fingerprinting involves gathering details about a user’s device—such as screen size, browser type, and IP address—to create a unique identifier. Unlike cookies, which users can manage or delete, fingerprinting is far harder to control. Critics argue that this change grants Google and the broader advertising industry a powerful tracking tool that individuals cannot easily block.
Martin Thomson, a distinguished engineer at Mozilla, criticized the move, stating: “By allowing fingerprinting, Google has given itself—and the advertising industry it dominates—permission to use a form of tracking that people can’t do much to stop.”
Google previously took a strong stance against fingerprinting, calling it a practice that “subverts user choice and is wrong” in a 2019 blog post. However, the company now defends the policy shift, citing evolving internet usage patterns. A company statement to the BBC emphasized that “privacy-enhancing technologies offer new ways for our partners to succeed on emerging platforms… without compromising on user privacy.”
Despite Google’s assurances, privacy campaigners argue that the change prioritizes business interests over consumer protection. Lena Cohen of the Electronic Frontier Foundation voiced concerns about the broader implications:
“By explicitly allowing a tracking technique they previously described as incompatible with user control, Google highlights its ongoing prioritization of profits over privacy. The same tracking techniques that Google claims are essential for online advertising also expose individuals’ sensitive information to data brokers, surveillance companies, and law enforcement.”
Pete Wallace from ad tech firm GumGum sees the shift as a step backward for privacy-conscious advertising, stating:
“Fingerprinting feels like it’s taking a much more business-centric approach to consumer data rather than a consumer-centric approach.”
The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has also raised concerns, calling the change “irresponsible.”
In a December blog post, ICO’s Executive Director of Regulatory Risk, Stephen Almond, warned that businesses using fingerprinting must prove compliance with data protection laws—a high bar to meet.
Google maintains that the use of IP addresses and other tracking signals is already widespread and that it has long used such data to combat fraud. The company says it remains committed to offering users control over personalized ads and will continue discussions with regulators.