In a surprising turn of events, Google has announced will no longer discontinue support for third-party cookies in the Chrome browser.
The decision marks a reversal of long-winded and, frankly, delayed plans first hatched in 2020. The company had initially committed to phasing out third-party cookies and other tracking methods by 2022.
The schedule then became less definitive, with a few significant delays pushing completion back to 2023, then to 2024, then again to 2025.
Google does not disable third-party cookies
In January 2024, the company began broader testing of its “Tracking Protection” features, which promised to limit sites’ use of third-party cookies to track users.
Instead of disabling cookies, Google is now introducing a new tool that allows users to make more informed choices about their privacy. There is no need to implement one setting that is the same for everyone.
Anthony Chavez, VP of Privacy Sandbox, said the transition from third-party cookies “would require a lot of work from a lot of participants and would impact publishers, advertisers and everyone involved in online advertising.”
Google is aware of the implications for the industry and has reversed the decision, which it worked on for four years.
However, Chavez reaffirmed the company’s commitment to the Privacy Sandbox initiative, which aims to develop privacy-preserving alternatives to current tracking methods. Additionally, the Privacy Sandbox APIs will remain available and are continually being improved.
Throughout the process, Google actively worked with the UK Competition and Markets Authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office, publishers and advertisers, among others. Despite some resistance, Google persevered, but it appears that the company underestimated the amount of work required to disable third-party cookies.
Ny Breaking have asked Google to provide more context about their decision, but we did not immediately receive a response.