Google has cancelled its plans for a blanket removal of third-party cookies. Again. Although the search giant promised to phase out cookies back in 2020 and has given users three deadlines for deprecation, it’s now opting out. According to Privacy Sandbox VP Anthony Chavez, the company has chosen “an updated approach that elevates user choice. 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.” This new approach will be similar to what Apple offered three years back that had apps ask whether or not they could track you. The new policy would affect all chrome users.
What Are 3rd Party Cookies?
Cookies are snippets of data placed on your browser when you visit websites. They allow various things to happen: experiencing faster loading the next time you visit, keeping you logged in, and allowing advertisers to better tailor ads to you. They can also track your behavior across the internet. Unfortunately, this is where some companies have abused cookies and run afoul of privacy regulations. Some companies, such as Apple, have already removed 3rd-party cookies, mostly because advertising only makes up a small percentage of its business. But for Google, which very much relies on advertising and cookies, stepping away from them has not been so easy. And since they haven’t found a solution that satisfies its business goals and its advertisers, it’s keeping 3rd party cookies.
What Is the Privacy Sandbox?
Launched by Google in 2019, the Privacy Sandbox is an initiative to find a way to evolve the internet to be less intrusive when it comes to privacy without removing many of the features that both users and advertisers are used to. The main goals of the Privacy Sandbox are to phase out third party cookies and to reduce tracking across multiple apps or websites. This would mean that all current infrastructure that the internet is built on would need to change. Google and other platforms have been rolling out the tools to move in this direction, but not everything has been updated so easily. The cookie and pixel firing that that the internet is built on has led to some businesses not being able to pivot so easily.
Why Did Google Change Its Mind?
One of the major drivers of this change in course is that offerings such as display, demand gen, and Performance max were having a harder time tracking without cookies and a new solution had not yet materialized. This meant that Google would lose more than it stood to gain with this switch as these new products had been heavily pushed as the wave of the future.
While Google’s halt to cookie deprecation means that there will not be a mass removal of cookie tracking, it does not mean that there will be no changes. Like with Apple devices, tracking will be harder when relying solely on cookies. The privacy sandbox will still continue to grow, and marketers will need to respond.
As a result of Google’s decision, the impending cliff of cookieless tracking has been avoided but that does not mean new enhanced conversion tools are without use. Those who select not to be tracked will no longer count in conversion totals and Apple devices still offer their own struggles. Enhanced conversions through Google and similar offerings from others remain an important step in ensuring that conversion data in platforms are as accurate as possible. All of the machine learning that goes into google campaigns these days rely on that data to know what is and isn’t working.
Are There Alternatives to 3rd Party Cookies?
As privacy continues to be a paramount concern to users on the internet, we can only expect more updates to block cookies and make tracking an ongoing challenge for marketers. So, a quality tracking setup that uses cutting-edge tracking options remains important. Getting campaigns as much accurate data as possible can make all the difference in the results of marketing efforts.
CloudControlMedia is working diligently to stay ahead of the ever-changing shifts in cookieless tracking to ensure we continue to drive the most effective results for our clients. Are you getting all you can from your search campaigns? Contact CloudControlMedia today and we’ll let you know.
Larry Harrington, Director of Paid Media Strategy