No more delays: Google confirms its plan to eliminate third-party cookies in Chrome

Plan Google remove third party cookies in Chromium remains solid, company engineers confirmed in the last few hours. But not only that, as they have also confirmed when it will launch, meaning the project will not suffer any more delays.

As we already know, Google will begin a testing phase to eliminate third-party cookies in Chrome in the first quarter of 2024. Basically, will be blocked by default for 1% of web browser users.

The next step will be their gradual elimination worldwide, starting in the third quarter of 2024. However, this will depend on the outcome of a consultation with the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

According to Google, before moving to permanently block third-party cookies in Chrome, They must be accountable to UK regulators.. If the above-mentioned body does not find any competition concerns, then a decisive step can be taken to implement the Privacy Sandbox standards.

Google ratifies its project to “kill” third-party cookies in Chrome

Google’s idea to “kill” third-party cookies in Chrome has gone through several ups and downs since its announcement. In 2020, Mountain View announced the implementation of FLOCKan initiative that has been heavily criticized for not only being confusing to everyday users, but also for being seen as a privacy risk.

After much debate, Google decided to bury FloC. However, in early 2022, the company introduced a new proprietary alternative called Topics. This API, which is part of the Privacy Sandbox, offers to use users’ browsing history over the past three weeks to determine their online interests.

So those using Google Chrome will receive personalized ads based on three of the five topics they’ve shown the most interest in, randomly selecting one for each week of history analyzed. According to Californians, within this new modality the use of hidden tracking methods is not recommended create an online profile for each person. They also ensure that the protocol includes restrictions to avoid promotional use of topics that may be sensitive, such as those related to race or gender.

Regulating pressure

Despite the changes made to the Privacy Sandbox, Google had to take into account the concerns of the British CMA. U.K. regulators said removing third-party cookies could give Mountain View undue power over the online advertising market. That is why, in addition to trials that will begin in the first months of 2024, they have yet to receive final approval.

Once Google Chrome kills third-party cookies, it will catch up with alternatives like Firefox, Brave and Safari. The first two began blocking trackers entirely in 2019, and Apple’s browser adopted this default position in 2020.

The problem for Google isn’t a lack of technical resources to block third-party cookies by default in Chrome. Sundar Pichai’s people should continue to collect user information to continue your online advertising business. After all, this is the main source of income for the corporation. Finding a balance without compromising user privacy has proven to be much more difficult than previously thought. And not everyone is convinced that this can be achieved.