Google Cancels Plan To Axe Third Party Cookies For Chrome Browser

Alphabet’s Google has announced that it will no longer phase-out of third-party Chrome cookies, because it will require “significant work by many participants and would impact publishers, advertisers and virtually anyone involved in online advertising.”

The firm announced the u-turn on its Privacy Sandbox website, when it said it was “proposing an updated approach. 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.”

Google’s u-turn comes after years of delays to its pledge to switch off third-party ad tracking cookies in its Chrome web browser, which according to Statcounter has a 65.68 percent market share.

It remains to be seen whether Google’s decision will result in regulatory interventions, or consumers switching to more privacy focused web browsers, such as Mozilla’s Firefox.

Too much work?

Cookies of course are small pieces of code that websites implant in a visitor’s web browser, which then tracks what other websites the user visits.

Cookies are responsible for much of the revenue generation in the digital advertising ecosystem, and thus critics would argue that it no surprise that after years of delaying the removal of third-party cookies, Google has carried out a u-turn.

Google’s VP Privacy Sandbox, Anthony Chavez, explained the firm’s rationale for its decision, despite years of feedback “from a wide variety of stakeholders, including regulators like the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), publishers, web developers and standards groups, civil society, and participants in the advertising industry.”

“Early testing from ad tech companies, including Google, has indicated that the Privacy Sandbox APIs have the potential to achieve these outcomes,” wrote Chavez. “And we expect that overall performance using Privacy Sandbox APIs will improve over time as industry adoption increases. At the same time, we recognise this transition requires significant work by many participants and will have an impact on publishers, advertisers, and everyone involved in online advertising.”

“In light of this, we are proposing an updated approach that elevates user choice,” wrote Chavez. “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. We’re discussing this new path with regulators, and will engage with the industry as we roll this out.”

“As this moves forward, it remains important for developers to have privacy-preserving alternatives,” Chavez stated. “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.”

Chavez said that as it finalises this approach, “we’ll continue to consult with the CMA, ICO and other regulators globally. We look forward to continued collaboration with the ecosystem on the next phase of the journey to a more private web.”

CMA oversight

Google had unveiled its cookie proposals as far back as May 2019, in response to what it said was users wanting more privacy when they are browsing the web, including not being tracked across websites.

Collectively, Google’s changes were called the ‘Privacy Sandbox’ project, and are designed to disable third party cookies on the Chrome browser and Chromium browser engine.

Google instead would replace these tracking cookies with a new set of tools for targetted advertising that it stated would protect consumers’ privacy to a greater extent.

The UK’s CMA watchdog had in January 2021 opened an investigation into Google’s proposals to remove third party cookies, and then in June 2021, Google agreed to the CMA’s oversight of the process, after complaints from unhappy advertisers.

The CMA thus took up the role in the design and development of Google’s Privacy Sandbox proposals to ensure they do not impede competition in digital advertising.

And Google agreed to not implement its plan without the CMA’s sign-off, and would apply the approved plan around the world.

Years of delays

In November 2021 Google had made fresh concessions to restrict its use of data from its Chrome browser, in order to address CMA concerns about its efforts to ban third-party cookies.

In May 2023 Google said it would begin replacing third-party cookies for 1 percent of Chrome users in Q1 2024, with full switch off later.

In January 2024 Google gave tens of millions of its Chrome browser users the option of switching off third-party cookies, after it had activated the system for a random one percent of those who use Chrome, or about 30 million people.

But in April 2024 Google again delayed the phase-out of third-party Chrome cookies after pushback from industry and the British regulator.

This was the third time that Google had delayed the removal of third-party cookies, and now in July 2024 it stated it will no longer cancel third-party cookies.