Google has scrapped plans that would have stopped advertisers from tracking its three billion Chrome users.
The tech giant announced Monday that it will no longer cancel and replace third-party cookies, small pieces of online data used by advertisers to show people targeted ads across the internet.
The proposal, known as the Privacy Sandbox, raised concerns in the online advertising industry that a replacement technology would leave even less room for online advertising competitors.
Google has been promising to eliminate cookies in Chrome since 2020. The public is outraged by this decision and feels they have been misled.
Google has been promising since 2020 that it will remove cookies from Chrome (stock image)
Privacy advocates have long criticized third-party cookies, claiming they can be used to track users across the web.
Anthony Chavez, vice president of Privacy Sandbox, wrote in a blog post that while the program was successful, it also “required a lot of work from many participants and will have an impact on publishers, advertisers and everyone involved in online advertising.”
He confirmed that Google would change its approach and move to an opt-in system that “increases user choice”.
“Instead of disabling third-party cookies, we would introduce a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies to their entire web experience, and change that choice at any time,” Chavez continued.
“We are discussing this new path with regulators and will work with the industry as we roll this out.”
But the words did not sit well with users who cited Google’s “promise” to remove third-party cookies, which the company said it would end support for in early 2022.
Then the company launched ‘Privacy Sandbox’, an initiative to find a solution that protects privacy.
“In August, we announced a new initiative (known as Privacy Sandbox) to develop a set of open standards to fundamentally improve privacy on the web,” according to a January 2020 blog post.
“Our goal with this open source initiative is to make the web more private and secure for users, while supporting publishers.”
The decision comes weeks after Apple issued a warning about Google Chrome to its 1.46 billion iPhone users. The tech giant took out billboards around the world to promote its Safari search app, touting it as “a browser that is truly private.”
And in 2021, Google said it was “extremely confident” in the cookie replacement initiative.
A year later, the company announced that advertisers were lagging behind in creating a replacement and stated that a complete elimination would impact their business, leading to the recent announcement.
“We are discussing this new path with regulators and will work with the industry as we roll this out,” Chavez said.
The decision comes weeks after Apple warned its 1.46 billion iPhone users about Google Chrome.
The tech giant has put up billboards around the world to promote its Safari search app, which it touts as “a browser that is truly private.”
Although Google Chrome wasn’t mentioned by name in the ad, it’s the most downloaded search browser for smartphones, having been downloaded more than two million times than Safari.
The ad was spotted in cities like San Francisco, London and Paris, but also in far-flung countries like Singapore and Australia. People saw the ad on billboards, in public transport and on public buildings.
Apple’s ads seem to warn people not to use Google. Google has repeatedly come under fire for the way its Chrome browser stores cookies and search information.
“Google announced earlier this year that it collects your data when you use Google Chrome, even if you use incognito mode,” Jake Moore, global security advisor for cybersecurity company ESET, told Forbes.
“Personal data is incredibly valuable to companies. If the terms and conditions are so difficult to understand, users can simply allow companies to collect data as they see fit.”
However, a Google spokesperson told DailyMail.com that the company aims to keep “people’s data safe by default and ensure users have control over when and how their data is used in Chrome, so they can personalize their web browsing experience.”
“We believe users should always be in control. That’s why we built easy-to-use privacy and security settings right into Chrome.”