Google has introduced platform-wide support for Encrypted Client Hello (ECH) on Android 17, making it the first major mobile OS to do so. Jigsaw, a tech incubator within Alphabet, explains that ECH closes a critical internet privacy gap by encrypting the destination website you visit from the start. Even when visiting a website with secure HTTP (HTTPS), internet service providers can still see the domain names of websites and services you visit, which can be used to build user profiles for targeted advertising or phishing campaigns.

With ECH enabled, ISPs will only see a website's content delivery network (CDN), like Cloudflare, and how much data is moving, but not the actual website or app you're on. The new internet standard will be enabled on Android 17 by default. "Closing this privacy gap makes the internet safer for everyone," says Jigsaw.