Published on: July 23, 2024
Google has decided to continue supporting third-party cookies, which the ad industry uses to track users and deliver targeted advertisements based on their online behavior.
“Instead of deprecating third-party cookies, we would introduce a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing, and they’d be able to adjust that choice at any time,” Anthony Chavez, VP of Google’s Privacy Sandbox, said in a blog post.
In the post, he explained that building a privacy-focused ad-tech stack is a big job and that Google now understands the challenges and the concerns of online advertisers, many of whom have strongly opposed the changes.
“We’re discussing this new path with regulators, and will engage with the industry as we roll this out,” Chavez added.
The reversal comes four years after the company first floated the idea as part of its Privacy Sandbox initiative. The last time Google said it would get rid of thirrd-party cookies was nearly three months ago, when the company said in an announcement that it’ll start phasing them out early next year, following repeated delays.
Now, instead of eliminating thirrd-party cookie support in Chrome next year, as initially planned, Google will allow users to choose between using the Privacy Sandbox or continuing with third-party cookies, which enable extensive data collection. This decision follows testing that began in January.
The Privacy Sandbox, a set of APIs designed to protect privacy while delivering and analyzing online ads, will continue to operate alongside third-party cookies in Chrome for the foreseeable future.
“As this moves forward, it remains important for developers to have privacy-preserving alternatives. We’ll continue to make the Privacy Sandbox APIs available and invest in them to further improve privacy and utility. We also intend to offer additional privacy controls, so we plan to introduce IP Protection into Chrome’s Incognito mode,” the blog reads.