The IT behemoth Google has announced that it will adopt a privacy sandbox strategy in place of the previously announced phase-out of third-party cookies.
Google’s reversal comes in response to worries expressed by marketers, who claim that the removal of cookies from the most widely used browser in the world will restrict their capacity to gather data for customized advertisements, leaving them reliant on Google’s user databases.
Cookies are little data files that a website transfers to the user’s browser; they are frequently used to track user behavior when they browse online in order to serve advertisements.
Data privacy was predicted to be restored for Chrome browser users by removing third-party cookies.
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However, Google said it would now rather let users make informed choices on third-party cookies through its privacy settings.
Announcing the new development via a blog post, Vice President of the Google-backed Privacy Sandbox initiative, Anthony Chavez, said:
“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.”
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“We’ll continue to make the Privacy Sandbox APIs available and invest in them to further improve privacy and utility. We also intend to offer additional privacy controls, so we plan to introduce IP Protection into Chrome’s Incognito mode,” he added.
Chavez said Google has developed the Privacy Sandbox with the goal of finding innovative solutions that meaningfully improve online privacy while preserving an ad-supported internet that supports a vibrant ecosystem of publishers, connects businesses with customers, and offers everyone free access to a wide range of content.
According to him, throughout the process of building the sandbox, Google had received feedback from a wide variety of stakeholders, including regulators like the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), publishers, web developers and standards groups, civil society, and participants in the advertising industry.
“This feedback has helped us craft solutions that aim to support a competitive and thriving marketplace that works for publishers and advertisers, and encourage the adoption of privacy-enhancing technologies,” he said.
