Google has been advocating for a post-cookie future (in the browser context, not diet-related) for years. However, the company now seems less confident in its ability to reshape the internet, potentially due to regulatory challenges.
Google’s Privacy Sandbox, initially intended to replace cookies entirely, will now be an optional feature alongside traditional cookies.
For users, this might seem confusing, but Google’s effort to replace third-party cookies was a major initiative. Tracking user behavior across sites is crucial for profitable targeted advertising, largely enabled by cookies.
Rampant cookie misuse—with websites containing numerous tracking points per page and creating detailed user profiles—has drawn regulatory attention. This led to the widespread presence of GDPR cookie consent messages, even outside Europe.
Google’s Privacy Sandbox proposed a solution by replacing individual user cookies with groups of semi-anonymous users based on various demographics. This aimed to balance current tracking technology, which can identify and track users, and a privacy-centric approach like Apple’s cookie block for third-party apps on iOS.
However, Privacy Sandbox didn’t satisfy privacy advocates or advertisers. Regulators also opposed Google’s proprietary system potentially becoming a standard through Chrome’s vast market share. Other browsers, including Microsoft and Apple, did not support Privacy Sandbox, with Brave and Vivaldi actively rejecting it.
Despite Google’s claim that Privacy Sandbox APIs enhanced privacy and worked for publishers and advertisers, the company is now abandoning its plan to eliminate third-party cookies in Chrome.
Google Vice President Anthony Chavez explained:
“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.”
Google’s blog post did not clarify when this choice will be available, how advertisers will distinguish between conventional cookies and Privacy Sandbox, or how Sandbox issues will be resolved.
While Google talks about “elevating user choice,” it’s unlikely that people will abandon a longstanding system for a Google-only solution. Google’s strategy to enforce Privacy Sandbox through Chrome’s dominance failed to gain advertiser support and attracted more regulatory scrutiny. It’s essentially dead on arrival, if Privacy Sandbox ever sees a wide rollout.