Google Reverses Decision to Phase Out Third-Party Cookies in Chrome

Google announced on Monday that it will retain third-party cookies in its Chrome browser, reversing its previous pledge to phase out the tracking technology. This shift comes after concerns from advertisers, Google’s primary revenue source, who argued that eliminating cookies in the world’s most popular browser would limit their ability to personalise ads and increase their reliance on Google’s user data.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) had also examined Google’s plan due to fears it might stifle competition in digital advertising. Anthony Chavez, vice president of Google’s Privacy Sandbox initiative, explained in a blog post that instead of removing third-party cookies, Google plans to introduce a new feature in Chrome. This feature will allow users to make informed choices about their web browsing privacy and adjust those choices at any time.

Since 2019, Google’s Alphabet unit has been developing the Privacy Sandbox initiative to enhance online privacy while supporting digital businesses. A primary goal of this initiative has been to phase out third-party cookies, which are used to identify and track individual web surfers. While useful for advertisers, cookies can also facilitate unwanted surveillance.

Under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), publishers must obtain explicit consent from users to store cookies. Major browsers also allow users to delete cookies whenever they choose.

Chavez emphasized that Google is collaborating with regulators such as the UK’s CMA and Information Commissioner’s Office, as well as publishers and privacy groups, on this new approach while continuing to invest in the Privacy Sandbox program.

The announcement received mixed reactions. eMarketer analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf noted that advertising stakeholders will no longer need to prepare for an abrupt end to third-party cookies. However, Lena Cohen, staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, criticized the decision, arguing that cookies can harm consumers by enabling predatory ads targeting vulnerable groups. Cohen attributed Google’s decision to its advertising-driven business model, pointing out that other major browsers have blocked third-party cookies for years.

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