Google has changed course — yet again — on its plans for third-party cookies, announcing that it will continue to offer the tracking technology in Chrome, rather than developing a standalone mechanism around their usage, as previously planned. For marketers, the news is mixed, potentially addressing issues around reach in a fragmented media landscape while also lighting a fire under internal plans to safeguard customer data.
The latest move appears to put the final nail in the coffin for cookie deprecation while possibly teeing up a future in which Google has offloaded Chrome due to regulatory pressures. Many factors were behind the shift, per a company blog post, including feedback from publishers, developers, regulators and the advertising industry about its Privacy Sandbox proposals, the cookie alternative initiative it launched in 2019. A Google executive expanded on the thinking behind the decision when asked for comment at the IAB’s Public Policy & Legal Summit on Tuesday (April 22).
“When you look at the evolution that the whole industry has gone through, and the regulatory environment, all the pieces from when we first announced Privacy Sandbox a number of years ago until today, it’s continuing to evolve and develop,” said Ghita Harris-Newton, senior director for government affairs and public policy at Google. “We’re continuing to work with the industry and think about that evolution and respond to the feedback that we’re getting from the industry.”
The tech giant last July said it would explore a “new path” around online privacy instead of deprecating third-party cookies in Chrome, halting plans that first began in 2020. Despite countless resources being spent throughout the industry to develop plans for a cookieless future, the company has now decided to keep cookies embedded in Chrome.
The news was announced days after Google lost a second antitrust lawsuit, with a federal judge ruling that the company wields an illegal monopoly over key aspects of online advertising technology. The company in August was found to have an illegal monopoly over search, a case that could see the company forced to sell off its popular Chrome web browser. The regulatory pressure could be a factor in why Google is again rethinking its third-party cookie plans.
“This news isn’t surprising. They likely don’t want to do anything that would potentially hurt their ads business if they are ultimately forced to sell Chrome,” said Amelia Waddington, global chief product officer at search intelligence firm Captify, in emailed comments. “Sandbox worked because it was based on them owning Chrome and having complete control of the supply chain. If they don’t have Chrome, they will need cookies for targeting, just like everyone else.”
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Source: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/whats-next-google-keeps-cookies-challenges-dominance/746061/
