According to The Verge , Google has begun rolling out a major plan to block third-party cookies on the Chrome browser, which many websites use to track user activity.
Accordingly, starting January 4th, the search giant began testing the Tracking Protection feature on approximately 1% of Chrome's 3 billion users. Google then plans to gradually eliminate the use of third-party cookies for all users by the second half of 2024.
Randomly selected users participating in the Tracking Protection trial will receive a notification from Google when they open Chrome on their desktop or Android device. If the new feature encounters problems while browsing, the browser will display a prompt asking if the user wants to temporarily re-enable third-party cookies to continue using the website.
Announcement regarding the testing of the Tracking Protection feature on Chrome.
Since 2020, Google has been quietly building the Privacy Sandbox, a cookie-free alternative that provides advertisers with users' browsing data anonymously. Advertisers will use Google-provided APIs to implement advertising, promising better privacy protection. Two key components of the Privacy Sandbox, the Topics API and Tracking Protection, are currently being tested, offering hope to privacy-conscious users and advertising businesses alike.
Compared to other browsers that take a stricter approach, such as completely blocking cross-tracking, Google's method seems more friendly to both sides. However, Google's rivals and privacy advocates are not entirely convinced by this cookie replacement technology.
Furthermore, regulatory bodies such as the UK's Competition and Markets Commission (CMA) are closely monitoring the Tracking Protection feature. The biggest concern is that Google will exploit this advantage to overwhelm competitors in the advertising market. Therefore, the company has stated its willingness to postpone the global rollout of Tracking Protection until the second half of 2024 if more time is needed to address competitive concerns.
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