Google has announced that it will no longer proceed with plans to cancel and replace third-party cookies in its Chrome browser, despite years of delays. These cookies, which are crucial to digital marketing, allow websites to track users across multiple sites to target ads more effectively.
In 2020, Google committed to ending support for third-party cookies by early 2022, intending to balance the needs of users, publishers, and advertisers. To achieve this, Google introduced the “Privacy Sandbox” initiative, aiming to protect user privacy while maintaining access to free content on the web.
By January, Google was optimistic about its progress with new proposals, including “Federated Learning of Cohorts” (FLoC), which would group users based on similar browsing behaviours, using “cohort IDs” instead of individual user IDs for ad targeting.
However, by June 2021, Google delayed the timeline again to give the industry more time to develop privacy-conscious advertising solutions. In 2022, feedback indicated that advertisers required more time to transition to Google’s proposed cookie replacements, citing significant business impacts.
In a recent blog post, Google stated that feedback from advertisers and regulators led to the decision to retain third-party cookies. The company acknowledged that transitioning away from cookies required extensive collaboration and would impact the entire online advertising ecosystem.
Anthony Chavez, VP of Privacy Sandbox, explained that instead of removing third-party cookies, Chrome would introduce a new experience allowing users to make informed choices about their web browsing privacy, adjustable at any time. Google will continue discussions with regulators and engage with the industry as it implements this new approach.
Online Path are keeping a close eye on progress and will be advising our clients if changes do occur in the future.
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