When you turn off ad personalization on your Android device, there are a few things that happen. Let’s break it down step by step:
1. Advertising ID replaced with zeroes: The first thing that happens is that your advertising ID, which is a unique identifier used by apps to track and serve personalized ads, will be replaced with a string of zeroes. This means that instead of seeing targeted ads based on your interests and behavior, you will see more generic or non-personalized ads.
2. Google Play Services notification: Google Play Services, which is a background service that runs on your Android device, will notify all the apps on your device that you have disabled personalized ads. This notification serves as a reminder to the apps that they should not collect or use your advertising ID for personalized advertising purposes.
3. Apps can delete existing data: Along with the notification, Google Play Services also informs the apps that they have the option to delete any existing data they have collected based on your advertising ID. This means that any information that apps have gathered about your interests or behavior for ad targeting may be deleted. However, it’s important to note that this will vary depending on the app and how they handle data.
4. Non-personalized ads: Once ad personalization is turned off, you will start seeing non-personalized ads. These ads are not targeted to your specific interests or behavior but are more general in nature. They may still be based on factors like your location or the content you are viewing, but they won’t be tailored to your individual preferences.
It’s worth mentioning that while ad personalization may be turned off, it doesn’t mean that all forms of data collection and tracking are disabled. Apps may still collect other types of data, such as device information or app usage statistics, but they are restricted from using your advertising ID for personalized advertising.
In my personal experience, turning off ad personalization can lead to a decrease in the relevance of ads I see. Sometimes, I have seen ads that are not at all related to my interests or needs. However, for those who are concerned about their privacy and prefer not to have their behavior tracked for targeted advertising, disabling personalized ads can be a good option.