One percent may seem small, but in the case of Google Chrome’s users it’s about 30 million people.
Google is putting its 1 percent through a test of the disabling of third-party cookies as part of its Privacy Sandbox Initiative. The aim is to offer an alternative for ad serving while prioritizing user privacy. Although popular browsers like Firefox and Safari have already stopped third-party cookie tracking, Google’s Chrome browser has a significantly larger market share with over 60% of the browser market.
This test will expand to more users over the coming months, intending to disable third-party cookies for all Chrome users by mid-2024. Those included in the test will receive notifications and the option to temporarily re-enable third-party cookies if necessary. However, this approach has sparked regulatory concerns regarding Google's growing influence.
Google’s efforts to enhance online privacy may impact advertisers and websites that rely heavily on cookies for advertising and personalization purposes:
Impact on Ad Targeting: The loss of third-party cookies will make it more challenging for advertisers to track user behavior and identify whether a publisher's audience matches their target. It also could lead to a drop in revenue for publishers.
Reduced Functionality for Certain Websites: Expect disruptions to websites that rely on these cookies, potentially leading to a less seamless browsing experience.
Less Personalized Content Suggestions: Lacking third-party cookies reduces the capacity to monitor and understand user preferences and engagements across diverse websites, leading to less precise and tailored content recommendations for users.