Chrome’s Third-Party Cookie Deprecation: A Never-Ending Story?
It’s been a long and winding road for Chrome’s third-party cookie deprecation. The journey, which was expected to end in 2022, has now been extended to 2025, with yet another delay announced in the latest quarterly report from Google. The reason for the delay, according to the search giant, is ongoing challenges related to reconciling divergent feedback from the industry, regulators, and developers.
The story began in 2020 when Apple and Mozilla decided to kill off third-party cookies in their browsers. Google, the largest advertising company in the world, initially stated that it wouldn’t follow suit until 2022. However, due to ongoing challenges and feedback from the industry, regulators, and developers, Google has continually delayed the change.
In 2021, Google delayed the deprecation of third-party cookies until 2023, citing the need for more time to address the challenges related to the transition. Then, in 2022, the company delayed it again, this time until 2024. And now, in 2024, Google has announced yet another delay, pushing the deadline to 2025.
The reason for the latest delay, according to Google, is ongoing discussions with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The CMA is concerned that Chrome’s new ad system might give Google’s ad division an unfair advantage. To address these concerns, Google has set up a public testing suite for Chrome’s new ad system, allowing for feedback from the industry and regulators.
In a recent blog post, Google stated that “it is critical that the CMA has sufficient time to review all evidence, including results from industry tests, which the CMA has asked market participants to provide by the end of June.” The company also acknowledged that it needs more time to pored over the testing data and feedback from the industry.
As a result, Google has announced that it will not complete third-party cookie deprecation during the second half of Q4. Translation? We’ll check back next year!
So, what does this mean for the future of online advertising? Will Chrome’s third-party cookies ever be killed off? The answer is still unclear, but one thing is certain – the journey towards a cookie-less future is a never-ending story.
In the meantime, it’s essential for marketers and advertisers to stay up-to-date on the latest developments and test out alternative solutions such as first-party cookies, which are still alive and well. Additionally, Google’s new ad system may offer some exciting opportunities for targeted advertising, but it remains to be seen how this will all play out in the end.
In conclusion, the saga of Chrome’s third-party cookie deprecation continues, with no clear end in sight. As the industry waits with bated breath for the next update, one thing is certain – the world of online advertising will never be the same.