The phasing out Google’s third party cookies
So apparently Google is set to ‘phase out’ third-party cookies in Chrome, finally joining Safari and Firefox who now do this by default. But according to Justin Schuh, the director at engineering for Chrome, this will not happen for another two years as they intend to phase it out.
So, what’s the scoop? Well with Safari and Firefox driving the standard towards browsing without cross-site tracking, Google is having to make adjustments to make adjustments to give the same consideration to internet users. The question is whether Google can do so without cannibalising revenue for other websites.
How Google intends to end third party cookies
One way to tackle this is to take a phased approach to make a gradual change and replace it with new tech solutions that will be less invasive than the current 3rd party cookie tracking method. This will require some ‘out of the box thinking’ that seeks to radically change the way privacy and ad tracking works, but there is no doubt currently that Google will be able to develop a cutting-edge solution. It’s more about Google biding its time to release it at the right time.
A disruption to the internet infrastructure
The impact of this change may be favourable to users, but it could be very disruptive to the internet infrastructure. Reps from both 4A’s and ANA advertising agencies said:
“Google’s decision to block third-party cookies in Chrome could have major competitive impacts for digital businesses, consumer services, and technological innovation,” Dan Jaffe, group EVP of government relations at the ANA, and Dick O’Brien, who has the same title at the 4A’s, said in a joint statement shared with Marketing Dive.
“It would threaten to substantially disrupt much of the infrastructure of today’s internet without providing any viable alternative, and it may choke off the economic oxygen from advertising that – and emerging companies need to survive,” they wrote, while acknowledging they are open to collaborating with Google on addressing their concerns.
One idea Google is considering is a ‘privacy sandbox’ where users are given more choice and control over how their personal data is used, for the purpose of ad tailoring. We can’t help but feel this is a compromise on Google’s part, but it will be interesting to see how things develop over the coming months in terms of what they propose to do, to tackle this new dilemma.
Watch this space!
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