Why Google Delays Cookie Removal – and What Will Happen Next

Yesterday’s news about the postponement till late 2023 of the exclusion of 3rd party cookies in Chrome has led to a collective sigh of relief from all and sundry.

Third-Party Cookies: What’s the Status Quo?

Google had been due to call time on 3rd party cookies for Chrome at the end of this year, with neither Publishers nor Advertisers prepared for prospect.
The delay can be put down to the fact that Google is also not ready with its Privacy Sandbox proposals. Although work on solutions has been underway for some time, with many companies having given both feedback and ideas, Sandbox has met with both scepticism and criticism.

The Criticism of Privacy Sandbox

It is clear that in its current form FLoC and the other Sandbox initiatives will not achieve a sufficient level of propagation, which threatens the revenues of Publishers who rely heavily on Google Chrome, as well as the technological giant itself.
Large-scale FLoC tests in the EU have not been successfully launched, hindered by the fact that the European Commission has embarked on a formal antitrust investigation, stating that it will investigate “Google’s announced plans to prohibit the placement of 3rd party cookies on Chrome and replace them with the ‘Privacy Sandbox’ set of tools”. Earlier, similar actions were taken by U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
Other browsers have also criticized FLoC, accusing it of, among other things, leaking data and enabling personal identification, using a combination of FLoC ID and digital fingerprinting.

What Happens Next with Google Delays Cookie Removal?

Google needs to respond to these problems; and further develop FLoC. First of all, it needs to upscale its testing regime; but this will take time, hence the introduction of a new timeline for changes.
It looks as if 3rd party cookies are set to remain with us for at least another 18 months. How will we choose to spend this time? Will Advertisers start using their potential and build scale. Or maybe the pace of their adaptation will slow down and they themselves will become the targets of the lawyers.
The next few months promise to be very interesting, filled with edge-of-your seat uncertainty. Who knows what will happen? If matters continue to unfold like a Hollywood movie, then we recommend buying pop-corn.

For any questions you may have on getting ready for the cookieless future – do not hesitate to contact us!