Google to disable third-party cookies for 1% of Chrome users in Q1 2024
Google is throwing third-party cookies out the window and replacing them with Privacy Sandbox! This revolutionary initiative puts privacy center stage and rewrites the rules of online advertising with a people-first model. Buckle up, web world, it’s gonna be a wild ride! Google’s cookie jar is shaking! After years of testing, they’re finally dipping 1% of Chrome users into the Privacy Sandbox pool in Q1 2024, waving goodbye to third-party cookies for good. The overarching goal is to completely phase out third-party cookies by the second half of 2024.
Privacy Sandbox lets you control your ad interests and join anonymized browsing groups for relevant ads, all without getting tracked. Google aims to streamline dev testing with live traffic by rolling out Privacy Sandbox relevance and measurement APIs to all Chrome users in Chrome 115 starting July. After this release, Google does not foresee any major changes to the API.
1% cookie kill might seem small, but Google’s Privacy Sandbox chief says it’s a big test run for the real rumble in late 2024.
Wong, in consultation with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), crafted this plan to jointly test the solution with the industry.
Starting in Q4 2023, Chrome users will be able to simulate third-party cookie deprecation readiness, helping developers to be ready. Developers can test their solutions in this phase by moving a programmable portion of their users to Privacy Sandbox. Wong clarified that the industry would be actively experimenting and testing solutions as a result of the coordinated testing in Q4 2023.
AdTech devs, mark your calendars! Chrome 115 hits shelves in July, giving you the green light to put your Privacy Sandbox creations to the test. No more waiting in the wings. Get ready for the Privacy Sandbox upgrade! In 2024, Google dives 1% of Chrome users into Privacy Sandbox, unleashing features like Topics API, Attribution Reporting, and Protected Audience – no more third-party cookies for them! This means third-party cookies are out, and a new era of privacy-focused advertising begins
Users can currently enable Privacy Sandbox trials in Chrome, but they have requested wider access for testing due to limited scaled availability. Wong pressed for fast-tracking trials as deadlines loom, echoing calls to ramp up testing.
Notably, Google does not intend to implement any intermediate steps in 2023 to increase the percentage above 1%. Google accelerates cookie retirement: After testing on 1%, full phase-out of third-party tracking in Chrome is just a decision away.
Facing concerns from developers, regulators, and advertisers, Google twice pushed back its initial 2022 deadline for phasing out third-party cookies. Responding to extensive feedback, Google’s phasing out of third-party cookies in Chrome starts for 1% of users in Q1 2024. This phased approach, shaped by diverse input, aims to reshape online privacy for everyone.
Privacy Sandbox debates heat up as browsers diverge on privacy paths. To appease the CMA, Google vows fair play: no self-preferencing in Privacy Sandbox testing.
While rivals balk at Sandbox, its future in Adland remains a murky click-through.
