By D. Maan, Jadetimes News
Google Reverses Decision to Block Third Party Cookies in Chrome
In a surprising turnaround, Google has decided against its earlier four year old policy to block third party cookies in its Chrome browser. This left the UK's data privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner's Office, "disappointed."
Cookies are small files stored on computers; they help advertisers track internet activity and target ads. Now, it wants to move forward with a new approach to provide users with "an informed choice that applies across their web browsing," and is speaking with regulators to determine what that might mean. The upshot: Google is not abandoning its alternative approach to advertising entirely. Instead, it will allow a third party cookie system to run parallel to that approach. Translation: Pop ups asking users to make cookie settings will persist.
Fact is that it is now according to Stephen Bonner of the Information Commissioner's Office who said to press recently, "It has been our view that blocking third party cookies would be a good thing for consumers." He added that new direction by Google is an important shift and further details will be reviewed.
Business observers say that third party cookies have been key to digital advertising all along, allowing advertisers to track what users do and to build consumer profiles based on their likes and dislikes. Google has announced its intentions for doing without cookies in what it has named "Privacy Sandbox", but the company has had to face rivals and criticisms from online advertising businesses.
In 2021, the UK's Competition and Market Authority intervened on the basis that Google's proposals could, in effect, continue to incentivize more firms to rely on Google's own technologies leading the competition away from standardization and decoupling. Google proceeded to propose a set of commitments in 2022, and the CMA is now seeking factual information or views about Google's latest commitments.
The CMA added, "We will have to give careful consideration to Google's new plans for Privacy Sandbox, in liaison with the ICO, and welcome views on the revised approach of Google including implications for consumers and market outcomes.".
Jeff Green, the head of the advertising platform The Trade Desk, was one of those who crooned that move, stating, "I've for years said to our industry, to Google and to Wall Street that I think it's a strategic mistake for Google to sunset third-party cookies. Google seems to finally acknowledge that the best option for them is to give consumers the choice.".
