On Monday, Google announced that it will continue to support third-party cookies in its Chrome browser, despite previous commitments to phase them out. This decision marks a significant reversal, influenced by advertisers' concerns that losing cookies would hinder their ability to gather data for personalized ads, thereby increasing their reliance on Google's user databases. Additionally, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority had examined Google's plan, worried that it might stifle competition in the digital advertising market.

Figure 1. Google Scraps Plan to Remove Cookies from Chrome.

"Instead of phasing out third-party cookies, we will introduce a new feature in Chrome that allows users to make an informed choice regarding their web browsing preferences, which they can modify at any time," stated Anthony Chavez, vice president of the Google-backed Privacy Sandbox initiative, in a blog post.

Since 2019, Alphabet's unit has been developing the Privacy Sandbox initiative, which aims to enhance online privacy while supporting digital businesses. One of its main goals has been to eliminate third-party cookies.

Cookies are packets of information that enable websites and advertisers to identify individual web users and monitor their browsing habits, but they can also be used for intrusive surveillance.[1]

In the European Union, the use of cookies is regulated by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which requires publishers to obtain explicit consent from users before storing cookies. Additionally, major browsers offer the option to delete cookies at any time.

Chavez mentioned that Google is collaborating with regulators, including the UK's CMA and Information Commissioner's Office, along with publishers and privacy groups, to develop the new approach while continuing to invest in the Privacy Sandbox program.

The announcement received mixed reactions. "Advertising stakeholders will no longer need to abruptly stop using third-party cookies," stated eMarketer analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf.[2]

Lena Cohen, staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, noted that cookies can cause consumer harm, such as predatory ads targeting vulnerable groups. "Google's decision to continue allowing third-party cookies, even though other major browsers have blocked them for years, is a direct result of their advertising-driven business model," Cohen said in a statement.

References:

1. https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/google-scraps-plan-to-remove-cookies-from-chrome-9469816/
2. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-07-23-google-scraps-plan-to-remove-cookies-from-chrome/

Cite this article:

Gokila G (2024), Google Scraps Plan to Remove Cookies from Chrome, Anatechmaz, pp. 173