What you need to know
- After much deliberation, Google will continue supporting third-party cookies in Chrome.
- The company's decision to cut support for third-party cookies in Chrome was viewed as an unfair and anti-competitive business tactic by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
- Google Chrome users will now have the option to disable them based on their preferences.
Last week, Apple threw privacy jabs at Google Chrome, citing its "hunger" for tracking cookies and not-so-private incognito mode. This was a bid by the iPhone maker to keep millions of its users hooked on Safari.
For a minute, it looked like Google would end support for ad-tracking third-party cookies in Chrome. However, that option is no longer on the table following the company's recent announcement highlighting its decision to continue supporting ad-tracking third-party cookies in Google Chrome.
According to Anthony Chavez, VP of the Google-backed Privacy Sandbox initiative:
"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, and they'd be able to adjust that choice at any time."
For context, cookies are small files stored on your device while browsing a website hosted by a server. Cookies store important data that Google Chrome leverages to track a user's digital footprint and browsing trends. The information is curated and present tailored ads to the user.
Google's long journey toward a 'private' browser via its Privacy Sandbox project
In 2019, it almost seemed certain that Google was on the verge of cutting support for third-party cookies in Chrome, as part of its broader goal of making the browser more private via its Privacy Sandbox project.
Google made a follow-up announcement, citing its intentions to end support for third-party cookies in Chrome. The move was received with mixed reactions. Advertisers blatantly indicated that the decision would cripple their ability to collect data for personalized ads, making them overreliant on Google's user database.
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) echoed similar sentiments, citing it would foster unfair business practices that would leave competitors with the shorter end of the stick.
"We're discussing this new path with regulators, and will engage with the industry as we roll this out," concluded Chavez. Following Google's decision to keep third-party cookie support in Chrome, users can now decide if they want the feature enabled, like in Apple's Safari.
