Third-party cookies are going away in a few years and it’s better to prepare early for the future that is right upon us. Since Google has announced that by the end of 2023 it will officially stop supporting Third-Party Cookies on its Chrome browser, marketers and website owners are starting to look elsewhere.

What are the alternatives for Third-Party Cookies? Since they are going away, CookieScript has listed some of the most popular alternatives that can be used instead of them. Long years of user frustration will come to an end in 2023, especially since there are so many different options. Website owners and users have to be prepared for changes, but first, let’s delve deep into the reasons why Third-Party Cookies are going away.

Why are Third-Party Cookies Going Away?

Third-party cookies are going away and not without a valid reason. Many of you already know that Third-Party Cookies are small, encrypted files that track user movement from website to website and collect the data later on in the process.

Data breaches and rising user concerns are two main reasons why Third-Party Cookies are going away. Even though such cookies can help provide personalized ads for users, not everyone is satisfied with data tracking and that is why Google is taking this step into a cookieless future.

Therefore, marketers must understand how to develop their strategies to be able to advertise without relying on Third-Party Cookies and CookieScript already has a solution for you. With the Cookie Banner from CookieScript, you can explain to your visitors about cookie usage and after reading the information inside the banner they can decide whether or not to accept Tracking Cookies.

It is also important to know that CookieScript automatically blocks Third-Party Cookies and also prevents any other types of cookies from running before receiving consent from the user. That is how CookieScript complies with the latest privacy laws worldwide, such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Third-Party Cookie Alternatives

Changes in the world of cookies push marketers and website owners to search for new solutions in advertising. While there are plenty of third-party cookie alternatives to choose from, it is important to kick off 2024 with the right solution so it does not bring any damage to your business or product.

Since privacy is key for most customers, it is advisable to choose a safe solution that can also provide a competitive advantage. Here are some of the most popular alternatives to third-party cookies.

First-Party Cookies

Since third-party cookies are going away, the spotlight is on first-party cookies from now on. Different from cross-website or third-party cookies, first-party cookies are stored directly on the website the user visits. First-party cookies let website owners collect data for analytical purposes, remember user settings, and provide other functions that boost the browsing experience.

First-party cookies cannot be used to track user activities on other websites, but only on the original one where the cookie was placed. There are a lot of examples of first-party cookies: they include your sign-in details, your online shopping cart items, and website settings, such as language.

But here is the trick: before using first-party cookies for tracking on your website, you can inform your users about the tracking through a Cookie Banner from CookieScript. If users are unwilling to share their information with you, they can always opt out of tracking.

With a Cookie Banner from CookieScript, you can stay compliant with all the relevant data privacy laws and track user actions for ad optimization and analytical purposes. CookieScript also automatically scans your website cookies every month and updates its cookie declaration inside the Cookie Consent banner. Try the Cookie Scanner by entering your website address below.

First-party data

First-party data is data collected directly from users via interactions with your own website or app. Using this method, neither first-party cookies nor third-party cookies are used, companies gather data directly from users through registration forms, purchases, surveys, user behavior, or behavioral tracking on their own domains.

It is a more privacy-focused approach, as users provide consented data themselves. It often results in more relevant data since users knowingly provide this information. However, if users don’t want to share their data willingly, less data will be collected.

Google's Privacy Sandbox

Google's Privacy Sandbox is developing several methods, one of them is Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC), which is being created for Google Chrome we b browser.

FLoC is ought to be protecting user privacy by “clustering large groups of people with similar interests” to hide them “in the crowd” while simultaneously enabling advertisers to reach appropriate audiences.

In other words, FLoC provides a privacy-preserving mechanism for interest-based ad selection. The FLoC mechanism tracks user actions on a website and calculates its cohort periodically, without sharing the user’s browsing data with anyone else.

However, companies have come up with the early disapproval of FLoC. They called the project “the opposite of privacy-preserving technology”. Another downside is that apart from Google Chrome, no other browser plans to enable this FLoC function. So, if you would like to use Federated Learning of Cohorts, it would only be accessible on a single browser vendor.

Another method, being developed by Privacy Sandbox, is Attribution Reporting API. It measures the effectiveness of ads without tracking individuals.

Still another method is Topics API, which is a more recent proposal where browsers assign topics (what a user is interested in) to users based on their browsing activity, and advertisers can target based on these topics rather than cookies.

Universal Identifiers

Another solution could be universal identifiers that help to identify users online. For example, a user gives its permission to a site that then “shares the user’s consent with the ID provider and it creates a unique ID for the user that can be used in different websites. By knowing the ID number, companies can then personalize their marketing approach by buying ads that match the ID.

Examples of such universal identifiers are being developed. At the end of 2021, for example, Google launched a feature allowing publishers to share publisher-provided identifiers with partners in Google’s Ad Manager.

Moreover, there can be email address-based identifiers too. For example, Unified ID 2.0, which is an identifier based on anonymized email addresses, is becoming more popular nowadays among consumers. Users can manage their data-sharing preferences and to ensure privacy, the user’s UID 2.0 “regularly regenerates” and contains no sensitive information about the user.

Fingerprinting

Finally, fingerprinting is a solution to third-party cookies and user authentication. Fingerprinting is something many people are already familiar with – most mobile phones nowadays can be unlocked with a fingerprint, as well as banking operations can be undertaken with a single touch of a finger.

In computers, fingerprint technology can identify a user by using the technical characteristics of the user’s device and browser. Fingerprinting combines certain attributes of a device, such as what operating system it is on, the type and version of the web browser being used, the browser’s language setting, and the device’s IP address.

However, fingerprinting has already been opposed by big corporations because users have even less awareness and control than third-party cookies. For example, European laws, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), require websites to notify users of their use of all types of cookies, but fingerprinting is not regulated and websites do not have to explain the technology to their users.

Contextual advertising

When using contextual advertising, Ads are shown based on the content of the webpage rather than user behavior. For example, companies place ads for hotels or travel packages on a travel blog website.

The method doesn’t require tracking users across different websites and respects user privacy.

Server-side tracking

Instead of relying on JavaScript to place cookies in the browser, data is collected server-side. User tracking could be performed without storing cookies on users' devices at all.

Server-side tracking reduces dependency on browser-based tracking and could not be canceled by ad blockers.

Email-based tracking (authenticated traffic) 

Companies use email addresses or other authenticated information for user tracking. When users log in (by providing email addresses or by other means), their activity is tracked within the company's network, and user behavior is tied to an email-based identifier.

Email-based tracking (authenticated traffic) provides a reliable way to identify users across multiple sessions and devices.

Universal IDs (UID)

Universal IDs (UID) are a method of tracking users using a single identifier across different platforms. A user’s information is stored using hashed identifiers from email or other consent-based inputs, so users can be tracked across platforms without using cookies.

The method relies on user consent, so it is transparent and complies with privacy laws.

Data clean rooms

Data clean rooms present the concept of secure environments where advertisers and publishers can share anonymized and aggregated first-party data without directly exposing user data to each other.

The method allows advertisers to target users in privacy-compliant ways without compromising user privacy.

Your Best Third-Party Cookies Alternative

Since you’ve read about the most popular alternatives to third-party cookies, you can choose one that suits your needs. If you want to keep using cookies for website optimization purposes and feel that first-party cookies are the best alternative to work with, choose one of the best cookie management providers in the market, CookieScript.

CookieScript will update your website’s cookie declaration automatically every month and this is why it stands above its competitors. Moreover, CookieScript offers its services in 34 languages and is compliant with all the latest data privacy laws around the world.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are third-party cookies alternatives?

Since third-party cookies are going away, marketers and website owners start to look elsewhere for alternatives. These include fingerprints, universal identifiers, different advertising methods, and first-party cookies. With CookieScript, you can manage first-party cookies with ease and the unique Cookie Banner will provide your website visitors with an opportunity to make an informed decision on cookie tracking.

Why are third-party cookies going away?

Google has announced that by the end of 2023 it will officially stop supporting third-party cookies on its Chrome browser. Since most people wouldn’t want to share all of their sensitive information with strangers on the internet. Eventually, data breaches and rising user concerns are two main reasons why third-party cookies are going away. If you want a GDPR-compliant cookie management solution for your website, choose CookieScript.

Are third-party cookies safe?

Raising user concerns about third-party cookies signalizing that these cookies are not the safest. Reports about data breaches are growing and that is why Google has announced that by the end of 2023 it will officially stop supporting third-party cookies. If you want a safer solution for your website, choose CookieScript that automatically blocks all cookies from running before receiving user consent.

When will third-party cookies die?

By the end of 2023, Google has announced that it will officially stop supporting third-party cookies on its Chrome browser. If you want an alternative advertising solution, choose first-party cookies and one of the best cookie managers in the market, CookieScript.