Google has made a dramatic U-turn on its plan to phase out third-party cookies. Instead of eliminating 3rd-party cookies, they have decided to introduce a new Chrome feature designed to give users more control over their browsing and privacy settings.
The shift comes after extensive feedback and collaboration with industry stakeholders, including regulators, publishers, advertisers, and privacy advocates in the development and testing of the Privacy Sandbox. Notably, IAB Tech Lab has contributed a great deal towards providing feedback and spreading awareness to industry. Recognizing that the widespread adoption of the Privacy Sandbox in its current state is challenging and will require substantial industry investment and time, Google is taking this alternative approach. This unexpected move marks a significant shift in the digital advertising landscape.
Google’s blog post, provides some insight into their proposed direction. A new experience in Chrome will enable users to make informed choices applied to their web browsing and privacy settings. This hints towards providing more transparency and disclosures to consumers as they browse and will provide detailed information about why certain ads are being served. Google continues to emphasize its commitment to preserving a vibrant digital ecosystem while enhancing user protection – providing transparency and choice is a great start.
Google will continue developing the Privacy Sandbox and refine its set of APIs to support targeted advertising without compromising user privacy. The company also plans to introduce IP Protection in Chrome’s Incognito mode, offering additional privacy safeguards.
IAB Canada is urging members to continue to lessen dependence on third party cookies and to push forward with the testing of alternatives. No effort has been wasted in the past year as the industry globally continues to move towards privacy-enhanced experiences online.
IAB Canada will continue to monitor the progress on Privacy Sandbox APIs and we look forward to rich discussions within our councils and committees as well as our upcoming events.