Google has revealed its plans to disable third-party cookies, which track user activity across various websites since 2020, in its Chrome browser. Originally slated to be completed within two years, the implementation has faced criticism from competitors, privacy advocates, and regulatory bodies concerned about potential advertising advantages for Google. However, Google aims to introduce support for its Privacy Sandbox replacement standards in Chrome 115, scheduled for release in July. While the changes won’t be enabled for all users initially, individuals will have the option to activate and test the new features without joining a trial or enabling browser flags.
The Chrome Developers blog provides additional insights into the specific technologies that will be shipped with the update. Notable inclusions are the Topics API, which offers advertisers user interest data based on their activity, and the Protected Audience (formerly FLEDGE) tool for remarketing and custom audiences. Google has already implemented several milestones to enhance privacy, such as reducing passively shared browser data to prevent fingerprinting and introducing Federated Credential Management to enable “Sign in with…” services while minimizing cross-site tracking.
To facilitate testing and preparation, Google plans to introduce an update later this year that allows developers to simulate the effects of Chrome’s third-party cookie deprecation for a specified percentage of their users. This feature will assist developers in understanding the implications and making necessary adjustments before the changes are fully rolled out.
Google’s director of product, Victor Wong, mentioned that the plan was developed in collaboration with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). While the scheduled end of third-party cookie support has faced multiple delays, Google now intends to disable them for 1% of Chrome users in the first quarter of 2024. Although this is not a significant percentage, Google commits to working closely with the CMA and gradually expanding the implementation beyond 1% in the latter half of the following year, in alignment with their target of late 2024.
