After much progress with Privacy Sandbox, Google has decided to roll back its most privacy-focused aspect against third-party cookies. As disclosed recently, Google intends to change the users’ experience as Chrome browser will allow third-party cookies instead of entirely blocking them.
Google Chrome Introduces Changes To Privacy Sandbox To Allow Cookies
According to a recent post from Anthony Chavez, VP of Privacy Sandbox at Google, the tech giant plans to introduce some changes to the basic functionality of Privacy Sandbox. While the feature will continue to work as intended, going forward, it will be a little more flexible regarding third-party cookies.
Google first launched the Privacy Sandbox feature in 2022, rolling it out with Android 13. The feature was intended to prevent invasive cookie tracking for Chrome users, ensuring a better browsing experience. It also aimed to prevent third-party data and cross-app identifier sharing to protect users’ privacy from advertisers.
This move made Google seem like a privacy champion for its users. However, the recently announced changes indicate Google’s tilt towards advertisers.
As explained, the tech giant received feedback from various stakeholders from the online advertising industry, considering which Google decided to halt third-party cookie blocking. Instead, Google plans to modify the Chrome experience for the users, letting them know about cookies and web browsing.
We are proposing 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.
So now, instead of experiencing cookie blocking by default, users may witness popups regarding cookie behavior, requiring them to decide how they wish to browse.
Chrome To Bring IP Protection
For now, it remains unclear how Google will execute this method, as the matter is currently under discussion and has yet to roll out.
Nonetheless, what remains clear is that the advertising industry has seemingly won this tough fight with Google.
However, this isn’t a loss for the users either, as Google also plans to roll out IP Protection in Chrome (as previously announced). Users may experience this privacy in Incognito browsing mode, where the browser will mask users’ IP addresses with a privacy proxy. This feature will also prevent network intermediaries from accessing the content shared between the client and the destination origin.
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