Google to make 3rd-party cookies optional on Chrome

In a blog post yesterday, Privacy Sandbox VP Anthony Chavez said that transition to the Privacy Sandbox APIs requires significant work by, and will have impact on, everyone involved in online advertising. And:

"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."

Mr. Chavez also said that results of testing by Google and other ad tech companies indicates that Privacy Sandbox has the potential to support a competitive and thriving marketplace that works for publishers and advertisers while enhancing privacy, and that its overall performance will improve over time as industry adoption increases.

Earlier, Google had intended to phase out 3rd-party cookies - those set by a website other than the one the user is currently visiting, through embedded content like ads, social media widgets or tracking pixels - by the end of 2024, and replace them with the Privacy Sandbox APIs.

But advertisers had been putting pressure on Google not to abandon cookies, because of concerns about no longer being able to collect user information for the purpose of personalizing ads.

For now, users will be able to choose between browsing with the Privacy Sandbox settings or continuing to have 3rd-party cookies activated.

Earlier this year, a task force organized by ad industry group Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) were critical of the Privacy Sandbox initiative, labeling some of its features as insufficiently effective or robust, or simply "dysfunctional."