Google has scrapped its plan to phase out user "cookies" on its Chrome browser this summer, after years of resistance from online publishers.
Cookies are digital files that track user web activity, with third-party cookies stemming from visited websites rather than the browser itself. These cookies allow data to be collected by a third party for ad targeting.
Instead of eliminating third-party cookies as planned, Google will "implement a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing," said Anthony Chavez, a Google vice president, in a statement.
The American company clarified that it is not abandoning the "Privacy Sandbox", a 2019 initiative that aims to replace cookies and facilitate ad targeting without tracking individual users. "It remains important for developers to have privacy-preserving alternatives," stated Chavez.
Google's proposal is subjected to regulatory approval, especially in the UK and the European Union, which have opened investigations into the proposed practice.
For a long time, cookies have been criticised by various associations for infringing on privacy, thus being stringently regulated in the EU and elsewhere, including California. Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe, websites must obtain user permission to use cookies.
But website publishers, who are reliant on cookies for their advertising revenue, object to their termination. They argue that the Privacy Sandbox project risks consolidating Google’s dominance because the company holds vast amounts of consumer behaviour data that will be denied to others.
According to Chavez, Google will continue to consult with multiple global regulators as they finalise their new approach.
