Google is continuing a trend that has seen the tech giant slow down on plans to massage the use of cookies - including those used for advertising - in its Chrome browser. Yep, that's right, this isn't De ja vu either. This is the second delay we have seen. Google previously said back in January of 2020 it would stop supporting third-party cookies in Chrome. However, last year that was delayed until 2023.
Google released the following statement on their blog: “After carefully considering feedback from users, privacy advocates, and other members of our community, we’ve decided to postpone the implementation of the change until the second half of 2024. This will provide businesses with more time to make any necessary changes to their sites and apps in a way that maintains customer privacy while they transition their content.
Digital advertisers have long used third-party cookies to track users across the internet since the late 90's. This method has allowed for precise targeting, personalization, segmenting, and measurement of ad campaigns.
With this new protocol, advertisers can better target their ads based on browsing history and location, but not individualized information like names or email addresses. This allows users to see ads that are more relevant to them while still protecting their data from being shared with third parties like Facebook or Google.
Google delaying their plan to remove third-party user data can result in more advertisers not preparing for this switch. Many advertisers won't let go of third-party cookies until they have to. Regardless of the deadline, investing in the cookieless future sooner than later is a wise bet for all advertisers.