Google’s recent change of heart about removing third-party cookies marks a big shift in its approach to digital privacy and advertising. Initially, Google promised to stop supporting these cookies by early 2022 as part of its “Privacy Sandbox” project. This project aimed to develop new privacy tools while keeping digital advertising functional. Third-party cookies, small pieces of code used by advertisers to track user activity across different sites, have been crucial for targeted ads.
The original plan included the “Federated Learning of Cohorts,” which intended to group users by similar browsing habits instead of tracking individual data. Although there was early excitement and a set timeline, the project faced delays and pushback from the industry. By June 2021, Google pushed back the timeline to give advertisers more time to adapt. Concerns from advertisers and regulators pointed out potential problems for publishers and technical challenges in implementing new privacy measures.
Ultimately, Google decided to keep third-party cookies due to the difficulties in replacing such a deeply embedded system. Instead, the company plans to introduce a new feature in Chrome that will let users manage their privacy settings more effectively, offering better control over data tracking. This updated plan aims to balance user privacy with the needs of the advertising industry, recognizing that a successful shift will need cooperation and adjustments from everyone involved.
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