Google ‘cannot proceed with third-party cookie deprecation’

Google can’t proceed with third-party cookie deprecation till it resolves issues raised by the UK’s Competitors and Markets Authority (CMA).

The search engine must do extra to deal with points raised round its proposed Privateness Sandbox adjustments or else it will be unable to deprecate third-party cookies from Chrome within the second half of 2024 as deliberate.

Why we care. Manufacturers would possibly achieve further time to discover options to third-party cookies if Google is compelled to delay their deprecation to deal with the CMA’s issues. Nevertheless, entrepreneurs shouldn’t presume a delay, as there’s nonetheless time for Google to resolve these points.

What’s Google’s Privateness Sandbox? Google is introducing the Privateness Sandbox program as an alternative choice to third-party cookies to allow advertisers to ship focused advertisements in Chrome whereas minimizing improper cross-site and cross-app monitoring. A Google spokesperson defined:

• “The Privateness Sandbox initiative goals to create applied sciences that each shield individuals’s privateness on-line and provides firms and builders instruments to construct thriving digital companies.”

CMA report. The CMA printed a report detailing its ongoing competitors issues relating to Google’s Privateness Sandbox, together with:

• Google could proceed to learn from person exercise information whereas limiting opponents’ entry to the identical information.
• Google’s skill to manage the inclusion of advert tech rivals on this listing might benefit its advert tech companies.
• Publishers and advertisers could also be much less capable of successfully establish fraudulent exercise.

Subsequent steps. The CMA is working with Google to resolve these points and can report on the every engine’s progress in its subsequent quarterly replace which is due on the finish of April.

Progress thus far. Though the CMA said that Google nonetheless has work to do, the report confirmed that within the final quarter of 2023, the search engine fulfilled its commitments to creating competitors fairer.

What the Competitors and Markets Authority is saying. A spokesperson for the the UK’s Competitors and Markets Authority mentioned in a press release:

• “In Q1 2024, we are going to give attention to working with Google to resolve the competitors issues we now have recognized on this report.”
• “We’re notably eager on resolving any remaining issues referring to the design of the Privateness Sandbox instruments and to make sure that Google doesn’t use the instruments in a approach that self-preferences its personal promoting companies.”
• “As a part of this, we’re additionally seeking to make clear the longer-term governance preparations for the Privateness Sandbox. We’d welcome feedback from events on our evaluation of the issues in order that we are able to take these under consideration in our discussions with Google between now and the Standstill Interval.”

Deep dive. Learn the Competitors and Markets Authority report in full for extra data.