Google Chrome today launched the first phase of removing cookies: A new look at online privacy
January 4, 2023 will be remembered as a big moment for Google Chrome a web browser that two and a half years later than plannedbegins the phased plan of forgiveness from famous cookies. Today, about 30 million users, which is 1% of the Google Chrome user base, are experiencing the first web experience without the (un)popular “Cookies”.
By the end of the year, Google Chrome aims to completely eliminate third-party cookies, changing the perspective of online privacy.
Cookies, often considered the Internet's original sin by privacy advocates, have long been used by tech companies to track users' online behavior. These “third-party cookies,” embedded in the very infrastructure of the Internet, enable targeted ads and various tracking methods, he reports WSJ.
An ambitious project by Google, launched in 2019, aims to eliminate these cookies from Chrome, the browser used by about 60% of Internet users. Victor Wong, senior director of product management for the Privacy Sandbox at Google, highlighted the company's commitment to privacy in the interview from 2023.
“The mission of the Privacy Sandbox team in a broader sense is to preserve the privacy of people's activities on the free and open Internet.”
In the first phase, Google introduces a tracking protection function, displayed via a pop-up window in Chrome, marking the beginning of the end of cookies. Users can recognize the application of tracking protection by the distinctive eye logo in the URL bar.
And while the cookies go into the past, Google does not leave full user tracking. The Privacy Sandbox project replaces cookies with methods aimed at greater privacy.
ShutterstockChrome will track user activity but store the data locally, classifying users into groups based on their preferences. This allows websites and advertisers to target specific groups without accessing individual browsing data, offering a compromise between privacy and targeted advertising.
Google Chrome transforms the browser from a user agent to an advertising agent
Privacy advocates, however, are concerned about the company's dominance of this new tracking model. Electronic Frontier Foundation claims that Google's approach transforms the browser from a user agent to an advertising agent, limiting tracking to one powerful body.
Despite the criticism, Google stands firm in its position, balancing the interests of consumers, advertisers and developers. Some advertisers have embraced the new tracking tools, while others see them as a threat to their business.
As the era of cookies “comes to an end”, it is important to note that the first cookies, managed by the visited website, will survive. These cookies, often harmless and functional, are appreciated by both Google and users.
We are waiting for the reaction of other web browser manufacturers, as well as advertisers.