Google has scrapped its plans to protect Chrome users from third-party cookies, four and a half years after it first promised to implement the privacy feature. The web browser remains the most popular on the market, despite having been cited as one of the least secure web browsers available.
In a blog post Monday, Google announced that instead of “deprecating third-party cookies,” they were in the process of proposing an updated approach that “elevates user choice.” So, what does this mean for the three billion people using Chrome to surf the web every day?
We get into what the future of data privacy looks like for Chrome users below, as well as how to keep your data protected.
Google’s U-Turn Explained
After repeated back and forth discussions between advertisers and regulators, the goal to purge Chrome of third-party cookies has fallen flat on its face. Anthony Chavez, VP of Google’s Privacy Sandbox, revealed the change of plans in a blog post yesterday titled “A new path for Privacy Sandbox on the web.”
The pivot comes after Google acknowledged in April that repeated years-long delays to the plans since 2020 were due to “ongoing challenges related to reconciling divergent feedback from the industry, regulators and developers.”
Google had initially set out, as Chavez phrased it, to “meaningfully improve online privacy while preserving an ad-supported internet”. Now, they’re rethinking the solution.
Ads, which are fuelled by third-party tracking cookies, may be an irritant to many but Chavez argues that they support “a vibrant ecosystem of publishers, connect(ing) businesses with customers, and offer(ing) all of us free access to a wide range of content.”
So what alternative has Google proposed? Without giving away any specifics, Google stated that their new solution intends to “elevate user choice.” Instead of snuffing cookies out, Google is maneuvering to “introduce a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing.”
These vague next steps might not be enough to quash the concerns of people who’ve waited years for Google’s promised changes to materialize. With no clear plan or timeline yet made public, what’s next for Chrome users when it comes to data privacy?
The Future of User Privacy on Google Chrome
For the foreseeable future, Google Chrome will automatically have third-party cookies enabled, which means online advertisers can continue to monitor your browsing habits. Google described the company’s journey to creating a more “private web” as “the next phase of a journey”.
Some online users are speculating that part of this “updated approach” to data privacy may involve users relying on Google’s semi-anonymous Topics API, which was rolled out in 2021.
Topics API admittedly reduces the risk of third-party data access by storing your web history locally, providing users with more control over their personal information. Yet the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has cautioned that all it really does is hand control of data tracking over to Google.
While it is slightly more privacy friendly, Topics API doesn’t prevent you being targeted by ads based on your browsing history, even without third-party cookies. Thankfully, there is a way that this can be switched off.
How To Increase Your Web Browsing Privacy
There are a number of recommended ways to maintain your privacy online, even as a Chrome user, including disabling Site-suggested ads and Ad measurement.
Web browsers alternatives to Chrome include Safari and Firefox, which give you the power to hide from third-party tracking. Safari is also notable for offering a range of privacy-enhancing features, including intelligent tracking prevention, fingerprinting prevention, smart search, and extension monitoring.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) will also help to keep you safe online by masking your computer’s IP address and encrypting your data. Learn more about these useful tools in Tech.co’s guide to the Best Free VPNs.
