Google on Monday announced it will no longer move forward with its plan to phase out third-party tracking cookies from its Chrome web browser---a project the firm has delayed for years.
In a blog post published Monday, Google said it will instead introduce a new prompt for Chrome users, allowing them to choose how they want to be tracked across the company's search products.
"Instead of deprecating third-party cookies, we would introduce a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing, and they'd be able to adjust that choice at any time," the blog post read.
Tracking cookies are small pieces of code that websites deliver to a visitor's browser. These cookies help websites gain information about the user and offer a more personalized user experience. Cookies have helped fuel much of the digital advertising ecosystem for target ads.
Google's Plan on Eliminating Cookies
Google first announced plans to eliminate tracking cookies in 2020. At the time, the company said it plans to phase out cookies by early 2022 once it figured out how to address the needs of advertisers, publishers, and users. As part of its effort to kill tracking cookies, Google launched the "Privacy Sandbox" initiative.
Google's announcement sent the ad industry scrambling to find an alternative. Over the years, Google pushed the deadline three times. The latest delay pushed the deadline to end support for cookies to 2025.
Google introduced several replacements for cookies, including the FLoC (which was scrapped in 2022 after two years of testing), and "Topics" (which allowed marketers to place ads via a number of topics determined by users' browser activity). However, none ever gained full support from regulators during testing.
Despite several experiments over the years, Google conceded on Monday and said shifting away from cookies would likely require "significant work" from many participants, adding that eliminating tracking cookies would impact "everyone involved in online advertising."
"We're discussing this new path with regulators, and will engage with the industry as we roll this out," the company added in the blog post.
Google's announcement comes just days after Apple warned iPhone users against the lack of privacy for those using Chrome's web browser.
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