Google has announced that it won’t be deprecating third-party cookies in its Chrome Browser after having getting it delayed multiple times in the past. Instead of discontinuing the feature, Google has introduced an “updated approach” where it will “introduce a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing.”
Announced via a blog post, the announcement comes after Google recently delayed the update to third-party cookies in Chrome form sometime in 2025. It was first announced in 2020 where the initial plan to deprecate third-party cookies in Chrome was to finish by 2022, but it was postponed to 2023 and then 2024.
As per the updated approach, Chrome will “let people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing, and they’d be able to adjust that choice at any time.” “We’re discussing this new path with regulators, and will engage with the industry as we roll this out,” the blog post added.
Google further notes that it recognised that the transition from the earlier model to the newer one required “significant work by many participants and will have an impact on publishers, advertisers, and everyone involved in online advertising.”
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The aim of the change is likely to find a middle ground between giving users the ability to opt-out from the experience while at the same time also giving advertisers tools for effective targeted advertising. After all, targeted advertising is made possible through third-party cookies on the web today.
Additionally, Google says that it will continue to make the Privacy Sandbox APIs available and invest in them to further improve privacy and utility. Google will also be offering additional privacy controls, such as IP Protection into Chrome’s Incognito mode. “IP Protection proposes to anonymise the user’s IP address, to help protect it from being used by third parties identified as potentially using IP addresses for web-wide cross-site tracking.”
”We’re grateful to all the organizations and individuals who have worked with us over the last four years to develop, test and adopt the Privacy Sandbox. And as we finalize this approach, we’ll continue to consult with the CMA, ICO and other regulators globally. We look forward to continued collaboration with the ecosystem on the next phase of the journey to a more private web,” Google added.