How Curation Is Transforming Programmatic Advertising in the Post-Cookie Era
What is Curation? In programmatic advertising, curation refers to the process of selecting and packaging publisher inventory-often within private marketplaces…
Just a few years ago, it seemed inevitable that third-party cookies would disappear. Google had promised a revolution in Chrome, and the entire programmatic advertising ecosystem was bracing for a cookieless future. Now, in mid-2025, the reality is far more complicated-and for many in the industry, quite surprising.
Google Changes Its Mind: Cookies Are Staying (For Now)
The biggest twist came in July 2024, when Google officially announced it would not phase out third-party cookies in Chrome, at least not in the way it had promised back in 2020.
Instead of default blocking, Google decided to let users manage cookies via privacy settings, keeping them enabled by default.
Why the change? Several reasons drove this decision:
- Regulatory pressure, especially from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which raised concerns about competition and how Privacy Sandbox could unfairly concentrate ad tech power.
- Strong pushback from advertisers and publishers, who warned that abruptly cutting off cookies would lead to massive drops in ad revenues and disrupt the open web.
- Doubts about the maturity of replacements, such as Google’s own Privacy Sandbox, which is still evolving and faces scrutiny from regulators and privacy advocates.
Privacy Sandbox Still Under Construction
Even though third-party cookies are still alive in Chrome, Google is heavily investing in the Privacy Sandbox, which aims to reduce individual tracking while still enabling ad targeting and measurement.
Some of the core components include:
- Topics API, which allows browsers to share broad interest categories instead of detailed browsing histories.
- Protected Audience (FLEDGE) for on-device retargeting.
- Attribution Reporting, to measure ad conversions without exposing user-level data.
However, these technologies are still being tested and debated, and many advertisers remain cautious about fully shifting budgets to these new methods.
Meanwhile, Other Browsers Still Block Cookies
While Chrome continues to support third-party cookies, Safari and Firefox have long blocked them by default, driving many marketers to build alternative strategies such as:
- First-party data initiatives, collecting consented data directly from their own users.
- Contextual advertising, targeting based on the content of a page rather than user profiles.
- Server-side tracking and universal IDs, to future-proof campaign measurement and targeting.
What This Means for the Industry Now
The upshot is that third-party cookies are not going away immediately, but their role is undeniably shrinking. Brands and publishers who spent the last few years preparing for a cookieless world-by investing in robust first-party data, testing Privacy Sandbox, and adopting contextual tools-are now better positioned for long-term resilience.
Meanwhile, regulators across the globe are still eyeing both cookies and cookie alternatives, so it’s possible more changes could come by 2026.
Key Takeaways for Marketers & Publishers
Marketers and publishers shouldn’t slow down their first-party data strategies or consent management just because Chrome’s phase-out of third-party cookies has been delayed. It remains essential to continue experimenting with Privacy Sandbox APIs, since they are likely to become industry standards in the future. At the same time, investing in stronger contextual and semantic targeting capabilities will help reduce dependence on user-level tracking and prepare for a more privacy-centric ecosystem. Finally, it’s crucial to keep a close watch on regional data privacy regulations, as these laws are evolving on their own timelines, often independently of Google’s decisions, and could significantly impact how data-driven advertising is executed.
