Google is again delaying its plan to phase out third-party cookies in the Chrome browser, this time to the second half of 2024.
The delay is all about ensuring web developers, publishers and advertisers have enough time to test and adopt Google’s alternatives to third-party cookies, which promise to help companies serve up relevant ads, without compromising users' privacy
“The most consistent feedback we’ve received is the need for more time to evaluate and test the new Privacy Sandbox technologies before deprecating third-party cookies in Chrome,” Google Vice President Anthony Chavez wrote in a blog post on Wednesday.
Without the delay, Google fears marketing firms may resort to using more invasive web tracking technologies, such as browser fingerprinting, so that they can target users with relevant ads. “This deliberate approach to transitioning from third-party cookies ensures that the web can continue to thrive, without relying on cross-site tracking identifiers or covert techniques,” Chavez added.
The problem with third-party cookies is how they can track your web browsing activities from one site to the next, giving advertisers a view into your personal habits. It’s why Mozilla’s Firefox and Apple’s Safari are already blocking third-party cookies by default.
Google’s original goal was to phase out third-party cookies in Chrome by around late 2022, citing how users were demanding greater privacy through the browser. But the company’s alternatives to third-party cookies have been taking longer than expected to develop and gain traction.
A year ago, Google announced it had to delay phasing out third-party cookies to mid-2023, in order to secure support from both businesses and government regulators. Chrome has 65.8% share over the market. Hence, any change to the browser could affect millions of users, and numerous businesses everywhere.
The company is now pushing back the date to potentially late 2024. In the meantime, Google is preparing to expand public testing for its alternatives to third-party cookies, dubbed the Privacy Sandbox APIs, later this year.
“Beginning in early August, the Privacy Sandbox trials will expand to millions of users globally, and we’ll gradually increase the trial population throughout the rest of the year and into 2023,” Chavez said. “Before users are added into the trials, they will be shown a prompt giving them the option to manage their participation. As the web community tests these APIs, we’ll continue to listen and respond to feedback.”
The company then plans on formally launching the Privacy Sandbox APIs in Q3 2023. One of these APIs plans on serving users relevant ads by using Chrome to determine a handful of topics you’re interested in, and then feeding a random one to advertising networks.