In January 2020, Google announced it would start to phase out support for the use of third-party cookies in its Chrome web browser. At the time, Google stated that its plan was part of its Privacy Sandbox program that was first announced in August 2019 and that getting rid of third-party cookies in Chrome would make it safer to surf on the web.
The initial plan was to slowly end support for third-party cookies in Chrome in 2022. However, the timeline for those plans kept being pushed back by Chrome. Most recently, the company said in 2022 that it would finally phase out third-party cookies in Chrome by late 2024.
Today, Google has announced a complete about face, stating that it now has a new plan for its Privacy Sandbox initiative. That plan does include keeping up support for third-party cookies.
In a blog post, Google stated that the early testing of its Privacy Sandbox APIs showed that its efforts to increase online privacy while also offering ways for advertisers to make money "have the potential to achieve these outcomes." However, it also admitted that implementing these APIs would need "significant work by many participants" in order to hit their goals.
Google stated that it now has a new plan. The blog stated:
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.
The company added it is not abandoning its Privacy Sandbox APIs, stating it will continue to develop and make improvements to them. It also has plans to add more privacy features in Chrome, including putting in IP protection for the browser's Incognito mode.
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