Google will roll out 3rd party cookie blocking on January 4 for 30 million users

Four years after Apple, Google will finally roll out and kill third-party cookies in 2024. Google will launch ‘Website Cookie Depreciation’ on January 4, 2024. Under the Google cookie depreciation, the browser will block third-party cookies for 1% of users on computers and Android phones, said Anthony Chavez, leader of Google’s Privacy Sandbox project. Google will extend the cookie block to all Chrome users by the end of 2024 under a schedule that has been pushed back several times in recent years.

Google will finally phase out ‘Cookies’ tracking modules by replacing them with ‘Sandbox’ based on users’ behavioral interactions. This Google Cookie depreciation has rolled out almost four years since third-party cookies have been disabled in Firefox and Safari. Google, one of the world’s largest ad companies, has been slow-rolling the death of the tracking cookie so that overall ad revenue will not be impacted suddenly.

“On January 4, we’ll begin testing Tracking Protection, a new feature that limits cross-site tracking by restricting website access to third-party cookies by default. We’ll roll this out to 1% of Chrome users globally, a key milestone in our Privacy Sandbox initiative to phase out third-party cookies for everyone in the second half of 2024, subject to addressing any remaining competition concerns from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, according to a Google blog post dated December 14, 2023. 

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What is Google Privacy Sandbox Initiative to replace Cookies Tracking from January 4, 2024

The Privacy Sandbox initiative aims to create technologies that both protect people’s privacy online and give companies and developers tools to build thriving digital businesses. The Privacy Sandbox reduces cross-site and cross-app tracking while helping to keep online content and services free for all. Check below the important highlights of the Google Privacy Sandbox. 

• A new technology to keep information private: Under this, users will be able to enjoy their browsing and app experience without worrying about what personal information is collected and by whom. The Privacy Sandbox technologies aim to make current tracking mechanisms obsolete and block covert tracking techniques like fingerprinting.
• Enable publishers and developers to keep online content free: Billions of people around the world rely on access to information on sites and apps. To provide this free resource without relying on intrusive tracking, publishers and developers need privacy-preserving alternatives for their key business needs, including serving relevant content and ads.
• Collaborate with the industry to build new internet privacy standards: The internet is a source of information and an engine of economic growth worldwide. Google invites members of the industry—including publishers, developers, advertisers, and more—to get involved and contribute to the development of better privacy standards for the Web and on Android.
• Privacy Sandbox for the Web: Privacy Sandbox for the Web will phase out third-party cookies and limit covert tracking. By creating new web standards, it will provide publishers with safer alternatives to existing technology, so they can continue building digital businesses while your data stays private.
• Privacy Sandbox on Android: Privacy Sandbox on Android will strengthen privacy while providing the tools app developers need to support and grow their businesses. It will introduce new solutions that operate without cross-app identifiers, including advertising ID, and limit data sharing with third parties.

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Reasons for Why Google Has Rolled Out a Cookie Depreciation Policy:

New web and app technologies are needed to improve people’s privacy online. In recent years, some browsers and platforms have taken steps to restrict or remove existing mechanisms, such as third-party cookies, without effective alternatives in place. This can negatively impact critical ecosystem functionality and put user privacy at greater risk by leading to the adoption of covert tracking.

According to the official report, developers and businesses should be able to make money from their sites and apps, as well as reach customers with relevant ads. The Privacy Sandbox initiative is developing new solutions that support key ecosystem needs—without reliance on online tracking identifiers—so that publishers and developers can provide free content and grow their businesses in a privacy-preserving way.

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Google Chrome third-party cookies depreciation to be done for above 30 million users

According to StatCounter, the Google Chrome browser has a market share of nearly 63%. The cookie depreciation will impact Google Ads’ revenue business model more as compared to its rivals, Apple Safari and Mozilla Firefox. More than 3 billion people use Google Chrome; therefore, Google will roll out cookie depreciation in phases so that, during the process, the overall revenue impact can be monitored and evaluated. 

“If a site doesn’t work without third-party cookies and Chrome notices you’re having issues—like if you refresh a page multiple times—we’ll prompt you with an option to temporarily re-enable third-party cookies for that website from the eye icon on the right side of your address bar,” Google stated.

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