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After delaying the removal of third-party cookies from its signature browser Chrome, Google broke the news on Monday that it would not be removing data files after all.
In a blog post on Monday, penned by Google Privacy Sandbox initiative's VP, Anthony Chavez, Google explained that to "support a competitive and thriving marketplace that works for publishers and advertisers" the company will not be removing cookies, which are a primary source of user information for advertisers looking to make targeted ads.
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Instead, the company will offer users a new option for privacy security that is still being developed and approved.
"In light of this, we are proposing an updated approach that elevates user choice," 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."
In 2020, Google announced it was going to kill cookies by 2022 and has been working on it ever since.
In December 2023, Chavez shared that the Privacy Sandbox initiative was working on "phasing out" cookies from Chrome and instead working to implement Tracking Protection (a feature that automatically restricts cookies) to a small number of Chrome users with the original plan to eliminate all third-party cookies from Chrome delayed multiple times and most recently stated to be by the end of 2025.
"Third-party cookies have been a fundamental part of the web for nearly three decades," a Google blog post reads. "While they can be used to track your website activities, sites have also used them to support a range of online experiences — like helping you log in or showing you relevant ads."
Cookies are essentially text packets of data based on user behavior that advertisers and publishers use to create content and advertisements best suited to what they would be interested in. However, if this data gets into the wrong hands, it can also be used for surveillance and would be a violation of personal information.
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Google's parent company, Alphabet, is expected to report its fiscal Q2 2024 earnings after the bell on Tuesday.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Alphabet was up over 50% in a one-year period.
