Google abandons third-party cookie deprecation plans

Google were planning to remove third party cookies, which would make it increasingly difficult for advertisers to target and track.

In the meantime, agencies have been working on solutions to try and minimise as much disruption from this as possible.

Decision to not remove third party cookies

Now Google have back-tracked and decided not to remove third party cookies but instead plan to roll out a new solution: a one-time prompt that enables users to set preferences that will apply across Google browsing experiences.

“We are proposing an updated approach that elevates user choice,” wrote Anthony Chavez, vice-president of Privacy Sandbox.

Google, which commands more than 90% of the search market, has dragged its feet seeking to balance user privacy with advertisers’ demands.

In January 2020, Chrome promised to phase out the technology “within two years” However, as it became apparent that the ad industry was ill-prepared for the change, Google extended its timeline.

Since then the tech giant has pushed back its deadline a couple of times citing regulatory concerns about Google’s Privacy Sandbox, the company’s suite of proposed cookie alternatives.

Plans to roll out a new solution

Now, to enhance user privacy while preserving advertising effectiveness, Google plans to roll out a new solution: a one-time prompt that enables users to set preferences that will apply across Google browsing experiences.

Google says it will continue developing Privacy Sandbox APIs and will also debut new privacy measures. For instance, the company plans to offer IP address obfuscation in Chrome’s Incognito mode.

What does that mean for us?

Molly Boston, Digital Marketing Lead comments “It’ll be really interesting to see how this develops. Although Google have decided to scrap their plans to remove third-party cookies, we’ll certainly see reduction in user consent on Chrome if the new proposal is agreed. Meaning that all of the hard work marketeers have been doing since the original announcement hasn’t gone to waste. We should still be prioritising first-party data solutions for targeting and measurement as it’s only a matter of time before this ‘one-time prompt’ develops into something more restrictive.”