Google has made a major move in its efforts to eliminate tracking cookies by disabling them for one percent of Chrome users. This action is part of the company’s Privacy Sandbox project, aimed at providing alternatives to cookies that will protect user privacy while still allowing advertisers to serve relevant ads. With Chrome holding over half of the worldwide browser market share, the disabling of cookies for 30 million users is a significant step in the project.
Users included in the rollout will receive a notification when they open their browser, informing them of their participation in Tracking Protection. This feature limits sites from using third-party cookies to track their browsing activities. However, Google has acknowledged that this change may cause some websites to break, so the company is allowing users to temporarily re-enable third-party cookies if needed by clicking on an eye icon in their browser bar.
The Privacy Sandbox initiative assigns users to interest-based groups, allowing advertisers to target relevant ads without the invasive use of cookies. While the project has caught the attention of regulators concerned about Google’s increasing power, the company plans to continue rolling out Tracking Protection over the next few months, with the goal of disabling third-party cookies for all Chrome users by mid-2024.
