Android Update Turns On New Privacy Feature, But Anonymity Remains Elusive

Google's latest Android update has introduced a new privacy feature called Encrypted Client Hello (ECH), which encrypts the destination server name in web requests. This means that only the intended server can see the actual domain, and not any intermediate nodes on the network.

ECH is designed to work with supported websites and apps, but it's not a silver bullet for complete anonymity. The feature still allows observers to infer activity at a coarse level, even if the destination server name is hidden.

Android 17 also enables Certificate Transparency by default and requires apps to ask permission before scanning local networks. This move comes as Android device-level privacy faces its own test in court, with a case involving the use of a duress password on a hardened Android build.