Tracking on the web Google will not remove cookies in Chrome browser after all
Google does not want to block third-party cookies in its Chrome web browser by default after all. The internet giant is thus bowing to pressure from the advertising industry and regulators.
23.07.2024, 06:22
23.07.2024, 08:40
dpa
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- After years of tug-of-war, Google is dropping a plan that would have made it more difficult for the advertising industry to follow users across different websites.
- The technology company from Silicon Valley had announced in 2020 that it wanted to push out so-called third-party cookies in its Chrome web browser by default.
- However, following headwinds from the advertising industry and regulators, a rethink is now underway: instead, users will be able to block cookies, which are switched on by default.
After years of tug-of-war, Google is dropping a plan that would have made it more difficult for the advertising industry to track users across different websites. The internet company had announced in 2020 that it wanted to push out so-called third-party cookies in its Chrome web browser by default. However, following headwinds from the advertising industry and regulators, there has now been a rethink: instead, users will be able to block cookies, which are switched on by default.
Cookies are frequently used small data records that are stored on users' computers and smartphones. Thanks to them, a website can recognize users, for example.
Tracking through the web thanks to cookies
However, third-party cookies, which are not set by the visited website itself but by advertising service providers, for example, have been criticized for years. Thanks to these cookies, they can follow users across the web with their advertising and also create profiles for personalized ads.
In Apple's Safari web browser and Firefox, third-party cookies are blocked by default and can be activated by users. However, Google's plans have met with resistance not only from the advertising industry, but also from regulators.
Concerns from regulators
Since 2021, British regulators have been investigating whether the plan could harm competition in digital advertising. Chrome has a market share of more than 60 percent among browsers. The fear was that the change could pull the rug out from under Google's advertising competitors - while the internet company's own advertising tools would become more attractive.
According to the new plan, Chrome users should make a "conscious decision" about cookies, which should apply everywhere on their journey through the web, according to a Google blog post on Monday. Google is talking to regulators about the proposal.