After years of dispute - Google-Cookie turnaround in Chrome processing
Google has been planning for years to make it harder for advertising industry to track users across different websites by default. However, the Internet giant announced in 2020 that it intended to remove third-party cookies in its Chrome browser. But due to opposition from the advertising industry and regulators, there is now a change of heart: Users will be able to block - by default enabled - cookies instead.
Cookies are small data sets frequently stored on computers and smartphones by users. They enable a website to recognize users.
Tracking through the web with Cookies
However, there have been criticisms of third-party cookies for years, which are not set by the visited website itself but by third-party service providers. These cookies allow them to follow users with their advertising across the web and create profiles for personalized ads.
In Apple's Web browser Safari and Firefox, third-party cookies are blocked by default and can be activated by users. Google, however, faced opposition not only from the advertising industry but also from regulators.
Regulators' concerns
British regulatory authorities have been investigating since 2021 whether Google's plan could harm competition in digital advertising. Chrome has a market share of over 60 percent among browsers. The concern was that Google's change could take the ground from under the feet of its competition - while the in-house advertising tools of the Internet giant become more attractive.
According to a Google blog post on Monday, Chrome users will be able to make a "conscious decision" about cookies that apply to them everywhere on the web. Google is in talks with regulators about the proposal.
Blog post [End of text]
Google's initial plan to make it harder for the advertising industry to track users via third-party cookies in Chrome was met with opposition from both the advertising industry and regulators. Due to this, Google announced a change in its approach, allowing Chrome users to block cookies by default instead of removing them entirely. The Advertising industry in the United States of America also voiced their concerns about this change, fearing it could negatively impact their ability to deliver targeted advertisements. Despite these objections, Google is now giving users the power to make conscious decisions about the cookies that affect their browsing experience across the web, as stated in a recent Google blog post. The use of cookies by third-party service providers, like Google, has been a point of contention, as they allow companies to track users and create personalized ads, leading to concerns about privacy and competition in the digital advertising industry.
