Google has announced that it would no longer phase out third-party cookies, as previously planned, instead opting for a privacy sandbox strategy.
Vice President of the Google-backed Privacy Sandbox initiative, Anthony Chavez disclosed the update via a blog post seen by Newsng on Wednesday.
Cookies are little pieces of data used by websites and marketers to identify and track specific Internet users’ actions. Cookies, however, can also be used for inappropriate tracking.
The U-turn came after advertisers, the company’s primary source of revenue, expressed concerns about the consequences of losing cookies in the world’s most popular browser.
They said that eliminating cookies would limit their capacity to collect data for ad customisation, increasing their reliance on Google’s user datasets.
“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, vice president of the Google-backed Privacy Sandbox initiative, said in a blog post on Monday.
According to Chavez, Google created the Privacy Sandbox to find innovative solutions that significantly improve online privacy while maintaining an ad-supported internet that supports a vibrant publisher ecosystem, connects businesses with customers, and provides free access to a wide range of content.
Google, according to Chavez, received feedback from a wide range of stakeholders during the sandbox development process, including regulators such as the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), publishers, web developers and standards groups, civil society, and advertising industry participants.
“This feedback has helped us craft solutions that aim to support a competitive and thriving marketplace that works for publishers and advertisers, and encourage the adoption of privacy-enhancing technologies,” he said.
We earlier reported Italy’s antitrust commission has begun an inquiry into Google and its parent company Alphabet for alleged unfair economic practices concerning user data.
