Google has reversed its decision to phase out cookies from its Chrome web browser, in a move that will have significant ramifications for the sports industry.
Cookies are small text files used to track a person’s behaviour across the internet – an important source of information for advertisers and others looking to build a more detailed user profile.
Cookies have been a fundamental advertising technology for several decades. However, their widespread use has been scrutinised by privacy campaigners and constrained by legislation such as the European Union’s (EU) cookie laws.
Google first announced its intention to switch off third-party cookie tracking by default back in 2020, promising to do so within two years, positioning the measure as a pro-privacy decision that followed similar moves by rivals, including Apple Safari and Mozilla Firefox.
The plan, though, was viewed as anti-competitive by other publishers and tech platforms that rely on cookie technology to support their own commercial operations. Indeed, Chrome controls two thirds of the global browser market, Android has a 70 per cent share of the mobile operating system space, and Google accounts for two fifths of digital advertising worldwide.
With the company positioning alternative technologies, such as Privacy Sandbox, as an alternative, rivals said Google would gain a significant advantage in data collection and be able dictate the terms and pace of the transition away from cookies.
Although Google postponed its self-imposed deadline in 2022 to give the industry more time to adjust to such a drastic change, it was adamant that it would push ahead with the plans. However, criticism persisted, not just from rivals but also campaigners and regulators who had issues with the proposed replacement technologies.
Now Google has confirmed that instead of turning off third-party cookies by default, users will instead be asked to opt-in to tracking. The company hopes this will placate both sides of the divide, while adding that it will continue to develop Privacy Sandbox as a genuine alternative, confident it will grow in effectiveness and adoption.
“We recognise this transition requires significant work by many participants and will have an impact on publishers, advertisers, and everyone involved in online advertising,” said Anthony Chavez, vice president of Privacy Sandbox at Google.
“In light of this, we are proposing an updated approach that elevates user choice. Instead of deprecating third-party cookies, we would introduce a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing, and they’d be able to adjust that choice at any time. We’re discussing this new path with regulators, and will engage with the industry as we roll this out.”
SportsProMedia
