Security News > 2024 > July > Google Abandons Plan to Phase Out Third-Party Cookies in Chrome

Google on Monday abandoned plans to phase out third-party tracking cookies in its Chrome web browser more than four years after it introduced the option as part of a larger set of a controversial proposal called the Privacy Sandbox.

The significant policy reversal comes nearly three months following the company's announcement that it intends to eliminate third-party cookies starting early next year after repeated delays, underscoring the project's tumultuous history.

While Apple Safari and Mozilla Firefox no longer support third-party cookies as of early 2020, Google has had a tougher time turning it off owing to its own prominent role as a web browser vendor and an advertising platform.

Last month, Austrian privacy non-profit noyb said it merely shifts the control from a third-party to Google and that it can still be used to track users without giving them an option to consent in an informed and transparent manner.

Privacy Sandbox has also faced regulatory hurdles over concerns that the technology could give Google an unfair advantage in the digital advertising market and limit competition, complicating the rollout process further.

"Instead of removing third-party cookies from Chrome, it will be introducing a user-choice prompt, which will allow users to choose whether to retain third-party cookies," the CMA said.

News URL

https://thehackernews.com/2024/07/google-abandons-plan-to-phase-out-third.html