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Google has been vowing to get rid of third-party cookies for years—but now, the tech giant says it'll give users a choice instead.
"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," writes Google VP Anthony Chavez in a blog post Monday. "They’d be able to adjust that choice at any time."
Google's choice-based offering isn't fully baked yet, however, as the tech firm still has to chat with regulators like the UK's Competition and Markets Authority first. "We're discussing this new path with regulators, and will engage with the industry as we roll this out," Chavez added.
The new launch date is unknown. Google's public timeline for the third-party cookie changes doesn't show a date for the rollout, and instead bears a notice referring back to Chavez's post.
Third-party cookies can track user behavior across the web and be used to deliver targeted ads and create user profiles that data brokers can then sell online, posing a privacy concern for internet users. Some browsers, like Firefox and Safari, already block third-party cookies by default and have for years. Safari also hides user IP addresses from trackers by default. It's also already possible to block all cookies on Safari if desired.
Google, however, is taking years to add comparable features to Chrome. Back in 2020, Justin Schuh, Google's then-engineering director on Chrome, said that simply blocking third-party cookies "has unintended consequences that can negatively impact both users and the web ecosystem."
Instead, Schuh said Google was moving toward removing third-party cookies "and related tracking mechanisms entirely." Four years later, however, it looks like Google isn't ready to kill third-party cookies for everyone after all.
Chrome is planning to add a small but significant privacy feature to its Incognito mode, however, which can also reduce cross-site tracking. Chavez confirmed Monday that Google will still add "IP Protection" to Incognito. While this won't work exactly like a VPN, it will use a proxy to mask a user's IP address with another one roughly in the same region as the user.
This means you won't be able to fully hide your location when using Incognito without a VPN, but it will be harder for hackers or trackers to pinpoint your exact geolocation. IP Protection could launch as soon as next year, but Google hasn't yet confirmed an exact release date.