Tech Tent: The end of ad tracking?

10 Apr 2021

Have you ever hovered over a pair of shoes in an online store, but moved on without buying - and then found those shoes advertised everywhere you go on the internet?

Now, the technology that makes that possible is being shackled by two tech giants, meaning a major upheaval in online advertising.

On this week's Tech Tent, we examine the implications of this revolution for an industry which is the lifeblood of many businesses - big and small - but which stands accused of invading our privacy.

In the next few weeks, Apple will introduce a change to the iOS mobile operating system which powers millions of iPhones and iPads. It will force app developers to give users a choice over whether they want to be tracked when they leave the app and roam across the internet.

Meanwhile Google has said it's banishing the third-party cookies used to keep tabs on an individual's web journeys from both its advertising networks and its Chrome browser.