Hi everyone,
In 2021, Google announced a plan to ban third party cookies on Chrome, its web browser. Third party cookies are cookies which a third party places on your device, even though you’re not using their website. For instance, you could be browsing website A, but website B may place a cookie on your browser through website A. Even though you’re unaware that website B is tracking you, your use of website A or acceptance of website A’s cookie policy would allow website B’s trackers.
Many browsers such as Mozilla’s Firefox or Apple’s Safari automatically block third party cookies. Chrome has lagged behind, most likely because of the profitability of advertising which relies on cookies to facilitate targeted ads. Chrome announced in 2021 that they would block cookies in 2023, which they pushed to 2024. But now, it looks like Google is actively beginning to phase third party cookies out.
Privacy Sandbox:
Instead of third party cookies, Google will add a “Privacy Sandbox” to Chrome. Working with the UK Competition and Markets Authority (the competition regulator in the UK), Google will implement an in-house tracking and data collection system. The Privacy Sandbox will still allow advertisers to gather data enough to profit from advertising, which Google alleges will keep the internet free. Their solution aims to solve the cross-platform privacy problem that third party cookies present – which is that you may be unaware which other parties have your data – while maintaining profitability. I would be curious to know how Firefox manages to be profitable without third party cookies.
I wonder, do we really need the amount of tracking we currently have for the internet to make enough money to provide excellent service? Regulators are clearly beginning to take action, so it will be important for internet companies to justify the extent of data collection. Stay tuned!
Resources of Note:
See Google’s blog post: https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/g/blink-dev/c/RG0oLYQ0f2I/m/xMSdsEAzBwAJ?pli=1
See PC Mag: https://www.pcmag.com/news/google-chrome-to-test-removing-third-party-cookies-in-q1-before-phaseout
Claire Guatto