Google first announced in 2020 it was preparing to eliminate Third-Party Cookies and replace them with the Privacy Sandbox initiative which aims to improve user privacy on the web. The original Plan was to remove Third-Party Cookies in Chrome by 2022.
Google's Cookie Deprecation Plan was postponed several times until Google decided to drop the Plan. After years of development, testing, and feedback, Google officially abandoned its cookie deprecation plan in 2024. Read what this means for publishers, advertisers, and privacy professionals.
What Was Google’s Cookie Depreciation Plan?
Google's Cookie Deprecation Plan was an initiative to phase out third-party cookies in its Chrome browser. Originally, Google had intended to deprecate third-party cookies in Chrome.
To replace cookies, Google introduced the Privacy Sandbox initiative, which included privacy-preserving alternatives for ad targeting, like Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC) and the Topics API.
In January 2020, Google announced its Plan to eliminate third-party cookies in Chrome by 2022. The timeline was extended several times due to challenges in developing and testing new privacy tools as well as advertisers’ reaction to removing third-party cookies.
However, on July 22, 2024, Google announced that it would drop its cookie depreciation plan and would keep Third-Party Cookies in its Chrome browser.
This decision was made after a pushback from advertisers.
Scan your website for free and see what cookies, including Third-Party Cookies, your website uses:
Why Did Google Drop the Plan?
Despite the intention, the deprecation strategy faced rising pressure and criticism from multiple related parties:
- Regulatory Concerns
Regulators, particularly the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), raised concerns about the potential anti-competitive effects of Google's proposed alternatives. The alternatives without ground competition would lead to Google’s dominance in digital advertising. - Industry Resistance
Many advertisers and publishers were skeptical of the effectiveness of Privacy Sandbox technologies and their impact on digital advertising. - Privacy Concerns
Privacy advocates have criticized the new privacy-preserving alternatives, arguing that the Privacy Sandbox technologies still enable user tracking and profiling. Google would offer more complicated technologies, but they would still enable tracking, just in a different form.
Facing these challenges, Google decided to scrap its Cookie Depreciation Plan, allowing advertisers and developers to continue using third-party cookies for advertising and targeting users. Google is not planning to remove third-party cookies from Chrome now.
Please note that Apple Safari and Mozilla Firefox have blocked third-party cookies by default since 2020.
What Does It Mean for Your Marketing Strategy and Web Privacy?
Google's decision to maintain third-party cookies in Chrome has several implications for your marketing strategy and consumers’ privacy:
- Current advertising methods remain valid.
The existing methods based on tracking and targeting users through third-party cookies remain in place, thus digital advertisers can continue using current strategies. - User privacy is not compromised.
Regardless of Google's position in the usage of third-party cookies, global privacy laws remain valid and continue to evolve to protect user privacy. privacy laws require businesses to obtain and manage user consent for tracking and data sharing. - First-party data strategies are critical.
Even though third-party cookies persist for now, the best long-term strategy would be building your organization's marketing technologies around First-party and zero-party data. Regulations are tightening, and consumer expectations around privacy are rising. - Cross-browser privacy remains complex.
Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and other browsers are taking different approaches to cookie management. Website owners must balance privacy concerns with the needs of the advertising industry using different methods and techniques. Digital advertisers must know how to deal with all of them. This fragmentation increases the need for durable, flexible consent management platforms (CMPs) that can manage preferences across all browsers and devices. - Consent Management Platforms (CMPs) remain essential.
Digital advertisers need to use CMPs to comply with data privacy laws and manage user consent preferences across all browsers and devices. This fragmentation in the use of privacy-related choices and technologies requires the use of flexible CMPs, that can automatically update to the changes in privacy laws and user preferences.
Ultimately, Google Cookie Depreciation Plan is only a temporary extension that could be reversed anytime soon. You should be ready for a cookieless future.
The Ongoing Role of Consent Management Platforms (CMPs)
Even through third-party cookies are still present, website owners must comply with privacy laws. Consent banners, granular preference settings, and transparent data management are not just best practices— they are legal requirements.
If your company targets European users, you must obtain explicit consent, process data in a purpose-specific manner, and provide complete transparency.
Under GDPR, businesses can face fines of up to €20 million or 4% of global turnover, whichever is higher, for non-complliance with the law.
CMPs play a critical role in:
- Providing a privacy-laws-compliant Cookie Banner with granular preference settings.
- Collecting valid user consent before cookies or other web trackers are activated.
- Documenting and managing consent records in case of audits.
- Enabling first-party and third-party data strategies that respect user choices.
- Provideing a comprehensive consent management tool that enhances privacy while enabling effective first-party and third-party data collection.
- Offering a Google-certified CMP
- Allowing integration with Google Consent Mode v2 and IAB TCF v2.2
- Providing Cookie Scanner and Privacy Policy Generator
- Automatic blocking of third-party scripts
- Providing CookieScript API
- Providing Integration with CMS like Joomla, Shopify, WordPress, etc.
In 2024, CookieScript CMP was ranked by users as the best CMP on a peer-reviewed site G2. We remain committed to helping businesses navigate this evolving landscape with confidence and clarity!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Google still have plans to drop third-party cookies?
No. On July 22, 2024, Google announced that it droped its cookie depreciation plan and would keep Third-Party Cookies in its Chrome browser. Use CookieScript to create a cookie banner, collect cookie consent, and automatically block third-party cookies.
What was Google’s cookie depreciation plan?
Google's Cookie Deprecation Plan was an initiative to phase out third-party cookies in its Chrome browser. To replace cookies, Google introduced the Privacy Sandbox initiative. However, on July 22, 2024, Google announced that it droped its cookie depreciation plan and would keep Third-Party Cookies in its Chrome browser. Use CookieScript to automatically block third-party cookies until consent is given.
Why did Google drop its cookie depreciation plan?
The deprecation strategy faced rising pressure and criticism from multiple players. Regulators, particularly the UK's Competition and Markets Authority raised concerns about the potential anti-competitive effects of Google's proposed alternatives. Many advertisers and publishers were skeptical of the effectiveness of Privacy Sandbox technologies. Privacy advocates also criticized the new privacy-preserving alternatives. Use CookieScript to continue using third-party cookies.
How to comply with privacy laws when Google dropped its cookie depreciation plan?
Consent Management Platforms (CMPs) like CookieScript remain essential. Digital advertisers need to use CMPs to comply with data privacy laws and manage user consent preferences across all browsers and devices. Use flexible CMP that can automatically update to the changes in privacy laws and user preferences. In 2024, CookieScript CMP was ranked by users as the best CMP on a peer-reviewed site G2.