Google Will ‘Not Always’ Stop Using Cookies in Chrome – DW – 07/23/2024
After years of phasing out plans, Google has announced that it plans to retain user-tracking cookies in its Chrome web browser.
“Instead of opting out of third-party cookies, we’ll be introducing a new Chrome experience that allows people to make informed choices about their browsing experience, and they can adjust those choices at any time,” Anthony Chavez, vice president of privacy at Google, said in a blog post from the president of the Google-backed Privacy Sandbox initiative.
“We are discussing this new path with regulators and will work with the industry to implement it,” he added.
Cookies are small pieces of code that collect information from people using your Chrome browser. This feature underpins much of the digital advertising ecosystem, allowing websites to track users to target ads.
Google’s Initial Cookie Plan
Google first announced plans to phase out so-called third-party cookies in 2020.
The plan has raised concerns among advertisers, who say it will hamper their ability to collect user data for personalized advertising and make them dependent on Google’s user databases.
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the plan would hinder competition.
Chavez said they are working with the CMA, as well as website publishers and data privacy groups, to develop a new approach to the issue.
Google Launches Initiative to Find Solution to Protect User Privacy
Google’s parent company Alphabet has launched a “Privacy Sandbox” initiative to support online advertising while improving data privacy.
The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires website editors to obtain explicit consent from users to store their cookies. The move has sparked controversy.
Some believe that cookies can be harmful to consumers. “Google’s decision to continue allowing third-party cookies, despite other major browsers blocking them for years, is a direct consequence of its advertising-based business model,” says Lena Cohen of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Some Google competitors, such as Apple and Mozilla, block third-party cookies by default in their Safari and Firefox browsers. Users can enable cookies in each of these web browsers.
(DPA, Reuters)