There is no denying that smartphone users are a lot more concerned about their privacy than they used to be a few years ago. Every day, we hear about how one company or the other is stealing user data without their consent and selling it to advertisers. Well, Google has a way to mitigate the situation through Privacy Sandbox, a one-stop shop for all privacy needs that was introduced last year, and today, it's rolling out to a broader audience.

With Privacy Sandbox, Google hopes to give users more control over their data

Privacy Sandbox has started rolling out today, and Google is delivering it onto the supported Android phones running Android 13. Once you have received the feature, you will get a notification - from there, you can enter the Sandbox, explore the settings, and get a better idea of it. You can find the controls in your phone's settings.

This is what Google has to say about Privacy Sandbox.

Privacy Sandbox will introduce new technology that operates without cross-app identifiers – including Advertising ID. This helps apps remain free through ads while your data stays protected.

Privacy Sandbox also aims to limit covert tracking and collection of user data, including safer ways for apps to integrate with third-party developers.

At the time of writing, the feature is still in the beta stages and, therefore, not available for everyone to use. However, with Privacy Sandbox, Google is hoping that more and more users will use this feature, which will help Google know what aspect is working and what is not. As always, it is not absolutely necessary to start using the feature as you can always opt out, but Google will probably make it a permanent feature once it comes out of beta.

Google's decision to make a dedicated place for all privacy-based needs is commendable. However, it is still a far cry from an actual fix for privacy issues that smartphone users generally face all the time.