Google’s long-anticipated move to phase out internet cookies is set to begin on January 4th, starting with a blockage for 1% of Chrome users, roughly totaling 30 million individuals.
This action, which comes nearly four years since third-party cookies have been disabled in Firefox and Safari, marks the initial significant step in Google’s Privacy Sandbox initiative, an effort aimed at replacing cookies with an alternative tracking mechanism, dubbed “Tracking Protection,” which the tech giant asserts is more privacy-oriented.
For decades, online entities have relied on “third-party cookies” as the primary tool for tracking users’ activities. These cookies enable websites to collaborate with various companies, including Google, to monitor users’ online actions. The looming extinction of third-party cookies reflects a major shift in digital tracking strategies.
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Instead of third-party cookies, Google introduced a new set of tools enabling Chrome itself to monitor users’ online behavior. This new approach involves categorizing users into distinct groups or “Ad Topics,” preserving data on their devices. Websites can inquire about a user’s categorized group but won’t access individualized information, a departure from the conventional cookie-based tracking methods.
Victor Wong, Google’s senior director of product management for Privacy Sandbox, told Gizmodo in an interview in April, about the company’s commitment to enhancing privacy while maintaining accessibility and usefulness of information across the web. According to Wong, this move aligns with Google’s broader mission to ensure an open and accessible internet while safeguarding user privacy.
“We are making one of the largest changes to how the Internet works at a time when people, more than ever, are relying on the free services and content that the web offers,” he said. “The mission of the Privacy Sandbox team writ large is to keep people’s activity private across a free and open Internet, and that supports the broader company mission, which is to make sure that information is still accessible for everyone and useful.”
Despite these changes, Chrome will continue to track user activity, setting it apart from browsers like Firefox and Safari. However, this new approach aims to limit the extent of information exposed about users’ online behavior, representing a step toward enhanced privacy.
The cookie replacements, part of the Privacy Sandbox initiative, are currently an optional feature on Chrome. Users retain the ability to disable these tools through browser settings if they find the concept unfavorable.
As Chrome’s user base constitutes a significant portion of internet users, Google’s cookie deactivation will effectively eliminate them from widespread use. A small test group of 1% of users will experience the default activation of “Tracking Protection,” identified by an eyeball logo in the URL bar, starting January 4th.
Acknowledging the complexity of this transition, Google forewarns users of potential glitches in the early stages. While cookies serve various functions beyond tracking, such as maintaining login statuses and storing cart items, Google aims to segregate and retain necessary cookies while addressing any arising issues.
Users will have the option to disable Tracking Protection or receive prompts to deactivate it for specific websites in case of disruptions.
This strategic move by Google aligns with an industry-wide shift towards fortifying user privacy in response to growing regulatory scrutiny and heightened user demand for stringent safeguards against unwarranted data tracking and profiling.