Eas a percentage of all users of the Google Chrome browser received a special notification in the browser window on Thursday with the content that the corresponding Internet surfers Be the first in the world to benefit from the new “Tracking Protection” – in other words: tracking protection. This brings with it a small revolution on the internet. It heralds the first phase of completely switching off third-party cookies. Cookies are small files that surfed websites store on PCs or smartphones to store login details or shopping carts. Advertisers use them to track the interests of users and thus show them targeted advertising.
With the new Chrome browser function, online users can decide for themselves whether their activities are tracked across multiple websites. The sites now no longer have access to users' third-party cookies. If a website no longer works due to cookies being switched off, tracking protection can be switched off by clicking on the eye symbol in the browser bar.
Google had long ago announced that it would ban third-party cookies from its browser and the Android operating system to better protect privacy. By reading the cookies, it is possible to create a relatively detailed personal profile and possibly also identify people personally. Third-party cookies in Chrome are to be switched off for all users in the second half of 2024.
Advertisers fear monopoly
The advertising industry fears a major drop in revenue as a result of the regime change, as Google's new interest-based tracking system enables less targeted advertising. The system has been open to the public for several months now, and advertisers have been able to adjust to the change.
Since Google has dominant market positions with the Chrome browser and Android – around 65 percent of all browser users surf with Chrome, 42 percent of all devices with an operating system use Android – the process is being examined by the competition authority CMA. The EU Commission is also examining the role of Google's advertising technologies for anti-competitive reasons.
The advertisers accuse Google of trying to improve the position of its own search engine advertising by abolishing third-party cookies. If the attractiveness of website advertising would decrease due to lower accuracy, other advertising places would become the focus, for example the first places in search engine results, which are usually sponsored. The market share of Google search is already almost 92 percent. Search is sought after as an advertising space because it can be directly linked to user interests.
First-hand data becomes more valuable
A company that can use a wealth of first-hand data to tailor advertising is likely to attract more advertising money if third-hand data is no longer allowed to be used. Google is one such company with its search engine.
But other companies are also preparing to make greater use of their own data. Amazon's marketplace also markets the first results in its search. Social media such as Facebook, Instagram or Tiktok can also use their treasure trove of data. Smaller websites could suffer more from the end of third-party cookies due to a lower volume of users and therefore data.
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