Google abandons plans to scrap third-party cookies in Chrome

Google has abandoned its plan to phase out third-party cookies in the Chrome browser. In a blog article published on Tuesday, Google Privacy Sandbox VP Anthony Chavez said that the company would continue to allow users to choose whether or not to use third-party cookies in Chrome. The decision effectively brings an end to the Privacy Sandbox initiative, launched in 2020, which aimed to block third-party cookies by default, similar to other browsers, such as Firefox and Safari.

After years of delays and scrutiny, Google had previously stated its intention to give users the option to opt into a browsing experience without third-party cookies. However, Google now cites "divergent perspectives" from publishers, developers, regulators, and the advertising industry as the reason for maintaining the current approach. The company will not introduce a new prompt related to third-party cookies.

Following Google's out-of-the-blue announcement, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) reiterated its concerns about why third-party cookies must be removed. "Third-party cookies are not good for the web. They enable tracking, which involves following your activity across multiple websites. They can be helpful for use cases like login and single sign-on, or putting shopping choices into a cart — but they can also be used to invisibly track your browsing activity across sites for surveillance or ad-targeting purposes. This hidden personal data collection hurts everyone's privacy."