Google delays the phase-out of third party cookies

Google has announced its plans to delay the sunsetting of 3rd-party cookies in Chrome until 2023, in an official update regarding the timeline of its Privacy Sandbox milestones. 

Vinay Goel, Privacy Engineering Director at Chrome, confirms that “While there’s considerable progress with this initiative, it’s become clear that more time is needed across the ecosystem to get this right”. 

The Privacy Sandbox initiative’s aim is centred on creating web technologies that protect privacy online, whilst also giving developers the tools to create successful digital businesses, keeping the web open to all. Google acknowledges that for this to succeed, it is imperative that the web community comes together to develop and agree on a set of open standards which will give users more control and transparency over how their data is used online. To do this, the community needs time to find a solution that works for all. 

By moving at a more “responsible pace”, Chrome says this will “allow sufficient time for public discussion on the right solutions, continued engagement with regulators, and for publishers and the advertising industry to migrate their services.”

26’s Paid Media Director, David McAndrew, says: “Whilst the announcement was unexpected yesterday, we were not surprised that the initiative has been delayed, given a solution that protects both people and digital businesses, has not yet been reached. Technology platforms such as Google have a duty to protect the privacy of their end users but also have solutions in place so their marketing technology can continue to be market leading.” 

What can we expect from Google / Chrome between now and then?

Following the multi-phased public development process, Chrome is aiming for the key technologies to be deployed by late 2022 for the developer community to start adopting them - but this is all subject to engagement with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). If an agreement is reached, Chrome will be looking to phase out third-party cookies over a three month period, which will start in mid-2023 and end in late 2023. 

So, what does this mean for brands and advertisers right now?

Alex Blaikley, Media Director at 26, says: “Advertisers who rely on Chrome and other Google properties for advertising should still very much be preparing to adopt workstreams that will limit disruption and/or create greater value. This 2-year delay provides an opportunity for brands and advertisers to define their strategy and build a strong foundation. 

The advertisers that will come out on top will be embracing the Google ecosystem, leaning into a first-party data strategy, spending time building direct publisher partnerships and defining their measurement framework.”

For more information on how to implement these four key workstreams, check out Alex’s blog on ‘Why the demise of 3rd party cookies creates an opportunity to embrace programmatic advertising’.