Google is advancing its efforts to remove third-party cookies from its Chrome browser, and a fraction of its users will soon experience the benefits. By “early 2024,” approximately 1% of Google Chrome users will no longer contend with cookies. The remaining users can anticipate a phased removal process by Q3 2024.
Given Chrome’s immense user base, with billions of users worldwide, this initial move will impact around 10-30 million individuals, while the rest of the user base will have to exercise patience.
In a blog post for Chrome for Developers, Rowan Merewood, Google’s Developer Relations for Privacy Sandbox, emphasized the importance of taking action for websites that rely on third-party cookies, especially as their deprecation nears.
The Privacy Sandbox initiative aims to curtail cross-site tracking while preserving vital functionality, such as sign-in, fraud protection, advertising, and the ability to integrate rich third-party content. However, third-party cookies have served as both enablers of crucial functionality and cross-site tracking.
Merewood explained that the decision to begin with a small sample size is a part of Google’s strategy to address concerns raised by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The CMA investigated Google’s dominance in the online browser market and has advocated for users to have the option to switch to competing browsers if they wish.
For website administrators, Google advises being prepared for the changes. Starting in 2024, they will observe an increasing number of Chrome users with third-party cookies disabled. To ensure their sites are ready, they should assess their specific requirements and controls related to cookie usage and management.
This move coincides with Google’s ongoing work on the Privacy Sandbox, which introduces new methods for user privacy. It eliminates the sharing of cookie data between websites and processes data on users’ devices, limiting access to data for apps and external servers.
