Google Delays Third-Party Cookie Demise Yet Again (digiday.com) 22
Google is delaying the end of third-party cookies in Chrome -- again. This marks the third time Google pushed back its original deadline set in January 2020, when the company said it would phase out third-party cookies "within two years" to improve internet security. Digiday reports: The announcement was made on Tuesday ahead of quarterly reports from Google and the ever-watchful U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), keeping tabs on how this whole situation unfolds.
"We recognize that there are ongoing challenges related to reconciling divergent feedback from the industry, regulators and developers, and will continue to engage closely with the entire ecosystem," according to a statement Google posted on its website for the Privacy Sandbox. "It's also critical that the CMA has sufficient time to review all evidence including results from industry tests, which the CMA has asked market participants to provide by the end of June. Given both of these significant considerations, we will not complete third-party cookie deprecation during the second half of Q4."
Google did not outline a more specific timetable beyond hoping for 2025. [...] "We remain committed to engaging closely with the CMA and ICO and we hope to conclude that process this year," Google's statement read. "Assuming we can reach an agreement, we envision proceeding with third-party cookie deprecation starting early next year." "We welcome Google's announcement clarifying the timing of third-party cookie deprecation. This will allow time to assess the results of industry tests and resolve remaining issues," said a spokesperson from the CMA. "Under the commitments, Google has agreed to resolve our remaining competition concerns before going ahead with third-party cookie deprecation. Working closely with the ICO we expect to conclude this process by the end of 2024."
At the start of the year, Google started purging third-party cookies for one percent of browser traffic.
"We recognize that there are ongoing challenges related to reconciling divergent feedback from the industry, regulators and developers, and will continue to engage closely with the entire ecosystem," according to a statement Google posted on its website for the Privacy Sandbox. "It's also critical that the CMA has sufficient time to review all evidence including results from industry tests, which the CMA has asked market participants to provide by the end of June. Given both of these significant considerations, we will not complete third-party cookie deprecation during the second half of Q4."
Google did not outline a more specific timetable beyond hoping for 2025. [...] "We remain committed to engaging closely with the CMA and ICO and we hope to conclude that process this year," Google's statement read. "Assuming we can reach an agreement, we envision proceeding with third-party cookie deprecation starting early next year." "We welcome Google's announcement clarifying the timing of third-party cookie deprecation. This will allow time to assess the results of industry tests and resolve remaining issues," said a spokesperson from the CMA. "Under the commitments, Google has agreed to resolve our remaining competition concerns before going ahead with third-party cookie deprecation. Working closely with the ICO we expect to conclude this process by the end of 2024."
At the start of the year, Google started purging third-party cookies for one percent of browser traffic.
Hey, I can re-use a comment from yesterday! (Score:3)
I am shocked. SHOCKED!
Good thing I was sitting down...
Re: (Score:2)
I am shocked. SHOCKED!
Good thing I was sitting down...
I am also shocked.
SHOCKED that Google cannot keep useful applications around for any length of time while it can't seem to get rid of useless junk like these cookies after years of trying.
It takes time (Score:5, Informative)
It takes time to come up with an alternative raping, er, uh, I mean tracking system to replace 3rd party cookies people!
Re: (Score:2)
If you read the summary, it points out that Google is in fact ready, it's the UK Competitions and Markets Authority that is causing the delay. Google's already-deployed alternative doesn't allow them to track you, all data is local and the API sites can use to target ads is properly designed to prevent it being used for identification.
I recommend you turn off third party cookies manually. This is just for the default off setting. I haven't noticed it breaking anything.
destroyed search (Score:2)
Google half destroyed their search business at a critical moment in time. AI will ruin the remainder and there will be no money left to fund Chrome development.
These delays mean to me that Google isn't likely to get to it, as they will inevitably restructure in the coming years.
Re: (Score:2)
Their advertising business is what brings in the bulk of their revenue. Outside of that, their search business is a cost center, and it's far from their only source of ad revenue.
duh (Score:2)
I wonder why they do search, seems like something expensive to do if there is no business purpose for it.
Firefox (Score:5, Insightful)
>" Google did not outline a more specific timetable beyond hoping for 2025."
Meanwhile, Firefox ended 3rd party cookies (by default) more than 4.5 years ago.
https://blog.mozilla.org/en/pr... [mozilla.org]
Why? Because they actually *do* care about privacy (and security, and choice, and open standards). And unlike Chrom*/Google, they don't have a major conflict of interest about it.
Re: (Score:2)
Gee, you mean Google has an ulterior motive for making a web browser?
I don't see why Google gets away with this shit while Microsoft couldn't.
Re: Firefox (Score:3)
It's a lot easier for common mortals to replace Google search with Duckduckgo, and Chrome with Firefox, than it is to replace Windows with Linux or MacOS.
That may be why Google has been able to get away with all this.
However, it is harder to get rid of Android, when the only practical alternative is the Apple walled garden.
Re: (Score:3)
>"I don't see why Google gets away with this shit while Microsoft couldn't."
Because Google actually started with a good browser. Then they used it to take over and/or destroy all competition, except Firefox (which is trying to hang on). Ironically, it was Firefox that saved us from Microsoft taking over the web, and it might be Firefox that saves us again, this time from Google taking over the web. If it isn't too late.
Re: (Score:3)
Google also conspires with Cloudflare (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
They'll just proxy cookies somehow (Score:2)
3rd party cookies are only distinguishable because they're issued by requests & scripts from domains other than the origin. I could easily see ad networks producing some kind of spyware-in-a-box container that resides in the domain itself. So the client requests scripts and cookies coming from the domain but they're emanating from this container that is synced up to the third party somehow.
Won't that be a fun security nightmare if that happens? Not only a bunch of spyware crap that is harder to distingu
Re: (Score:2)
It sounds like you are describing a reverse proxy, which is a thing.
This is why 3rd party cookie blocking is a fools errand anyway.
Firefox handles it by accepting cookies, but each one lives in its own, isolated and sandboxed environment.
https://blog.mozilla.org/en/mo... [mozilla.org]
Just do it. (Score:4, Insightful)
Ask a company politely to adapt, and they will take years. Break things, and they will have a fix in a week. Sometimes you've to press where it hurts, at the money sack. Otherwise, no one takes you seriously.
SAVE THE PARTY COOKIES!!! (Score:1)