Google Keeps Third-Party Cookies to Balance Privacy with Profit
On Monday, Google announced that it will keep its Chrome Browser third party cookies, following the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) probe into the giant’s monopolizing advertisement conduct.
The search engine parent’s decision came following concerns raised by advertisers – Google’s main source of revenue – claiming that deleting the third-party cookies would make it harder for them to collect data specifically for personalized ads, making them also more reliant on Google’s own user databases.
New Approach to User Choice
Google’s Privacy Sandbox project Vice President, Anthony Chavez further elaborated the company’s new approach in a blogpost stating, “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.”
Since 2019, Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has been focusing on the Privacy Sandbox initiative to enhance online privacy while maintaining its support for digital businesses. One of the main goals of this initiative was to get rid of third-party cookies which are information bundles, usually enabling websites and advertisers to identify and monitor web visitors to track their habits.
It is worth noting that such cookies can also be used for surveillance purposes.
Chavez mentioned that the tech giant is working closely with regulators, such as the UK’s CMA and Information Commissioner’s Office, alongside publishers and privacy groups, to implement the new approach, while confirming it will keep on investing in the Privacy Sandbox program.
With and Against
The comments on this announcement were varied. Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf, an analyst at eMarketer pointed out that this would be an advantage for advertisers, as they will no longer be required to stop using third-party cookies and adapt to new things.
Meanwhile, Lena Cohen, staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, considered that keeping these cookies could cause consumers potential harm, especially ads that target sensitive groups.
“Google’s decision to continue allowing third-party cookies, despite other major browsers blocking them for years, is a direct consequence of their advertising-driven business model,” Cohen added.
Final Thoughts
Google’s decision to reverse the phase out third-party cookies in its Chrome browser reflects the challenges it is facing when it comes to balancing user privacy with the company’s interests, more specifically with the advertising revenue.
This also shows that Google gives more priority to generating revenue than committing to ensure user privacy. In a related context, Apple asked its users to not use Google Chrome browser due to these third-party cookies that could put their privacy at risk.
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