Focusing first and foremost on people’s privacy, while keeping the way open for companies’ performance, is one of the main challenges of the open web. For this reason, just over a year after the first postponement, Google announces that the plan for the disposal of third-party cookies has been moved again: this time from 2023 to the second half of 2024.
“The main thrust of the feedback we have received is the need for more time to evaluate and test the new Privacy Sandbox technologies before discontinuing third-party cookies on Chrome” writes Anthony Chavez on Google’s blog, “This feedback is in line with our commitment to CMA [the UK Competition Authority] to ensure that the Privacy Sandbox provides effective technologies for privacy protection and that the industry has enough time to adopt these new solutions. This thoughtful approach to transitioning from third-party cookies ensures that the Web can continue to thrive, without relying on site tracking identifiers or techniques such as fingerprinting.”
It is important to remember that players like Apple and Firefox have already disposed of third-party cookies: the new delay for Chrome highlights how the impact on a browser that occupies a market share of over 65% needs valid alternatives to avoid creating a situation of uncertainty. This situation has prompted Google to take more time to test the Privacy Sandbox APIs, so that third-party cookies are only dropped once an alternative technology has been extensively tested. This is the action plan so far:
“Developers can already test these APIs today and, starting in early August, the Privacy Sandbox trials will extend to millions of users around the world. We will gradually increase the number during the rest of the year and in 2023. Before users are added to the trials, they will be shown a message enabling them to manage their participation. As the web community tests these APIs, we will continue to listen and respond to feedback.
By the third quarter of 2023, we expect the Privacy Sandbox APIs to be launched and generally available in Chrome. With the adoption of these APIs by developers, we intend to start phasing out third-party cookies in Chrome in the second half of 2024. As always, you can find updated deadlines and milestones on the Privacy Sandbox website.”
To stay up to date on the digital post-dismission scenario of third-party cookies, Webranking has created two comprehensive and in-depth documents.
This article was written by Nicola Donati, PR & Communications Manager.
