Alphabet’s Google said it plans to give people who use its Chrome web browser the option to choose a more privacy-sensitive experience, rather than phasing out cookies, the software that lets marketers track users.
In a blog post, the company said it had made the decision after considering the impact that eliminating cookies would have on publishers, advertisers and others involved in the sprawling digital ad business.
“We are proposing an updated approach that elevates user choice,” Anthony Chavez, a vice-president at Google, wrote Monday in the blog post. “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.”
The move marks a major shift for Google, which for years has worked to implement Privacy Sandbox, its plan to replace cookies with other tools for advertisers. The company said it will continue to offer those tools to developers.
The UK Competition and Markets Authority, which regulates the tech industry, said Monday that it will gather comments on Google’s new approach until August 12. The agency said earlier this year that it was reviewing Google’s plans after fielding more concerns about it.
“Google has confirmed a new approach to third-party cookies. Instead of removing them from Chrome, it will introduce a user-choice prompt,” the CMA wrote on social network X. “We’re considering the impact of this announcement and welcome views.”
The CMA has been in talks with Google for years over its planned phase-out of third-party cookies. The agency had earlier probed the company’s proposal to eliminate the cookies used by publishers and advertiser to track users and measure the success of advertising campaigns, saying it was concerned that the changes could “impede competition in digital advertising markets.”
Some privacy advocates expressed disappointment with Google’s move.
“Regulators, consumers and even brands have recognised the privacy issues associated with cookies and have been working toward more privacy-friendly solutions,” Adam Schenkel, an executive vice-president at GumGum, an ad tech company that focuses on delivering ads without personal data, wrote in an email. “Google’s decision is shortsighted, especially as it relates to privacy.”
