On Monday, the company said it will no longer kill third-party cookies in Google Chrome. Instead, it will provide a new experience in the browser that will allow users to make informed choices about their web browsing options, Google announced in a statement. . Google has said that killing cookies will have a negative impact on online publishers and advertisers. The announcement marks a significant shift from Google’s previous plans to phase out third-party cookies by early 2025.
“[We] offer an updated approach that enhances user choice,” wrote Anthony Chavez, vice president of Google’s Privacy Sandbox initiative. “Instead of disabling third-party cookies, we’re introducing a new experience in Chrome that allows people to make an informed choice when browsing the web, and they can adjust that choice at any time. We are discussing this new path with regulators and will engage with the industry as we do so.”
Chavez wrote that Google will now focus on giving users more control over browsing data. This includes additional privacy controls, such as IP Protection in Chrome’s Incognito mode, and ongoing improvements to the Privacy Sandbox APIs.
Google’s decision provides a reprieve for advertisers and publishers who use cookies to target ads and measure performance. Over the past few years, the company’s plans to eliminate third-party cookies a and regulatory barriers. Google first these cookies until the end of 2022, but the deadline was By the end of 2024 and beyond due to various issues and feedback from stakeholders, including advertisers, publishers and regulators such as the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
In January 2024, Google A new feature called Tracking Protection that limits third-party cookies by default for 1% of Chrome users worldwide. This move was seen as the first step towards the complete destruction of cookies. However, concerns and criticism about the readiness and effectiveness of Google’s Privacy Sandbox, a set of APIs designed to replace third-party cookies, have caused further delays.
There are CMA and other regulatory bodies About Google’s Privacy Sandbox, fearing it could limit competition and give Google an unfair advantage in the digital advertising market. These concerns have led to extended review times and additional inspections, complicating Google’s schedule for phasing out third-party cookies. CMA shortly after Google’s Monday announcement “Given the impact” of Google’s change in direction.
