Cookie Deprecation: Chrome Set to Activate Tracking Protection for Select Users on Jan. 4
The cookie’s path to deprecation just got real. A piece published in CM sister pub AdExchanger explores the latest news related to the phase-out of third-party cookies: Google announced Tracking Protection, a new browser feature that will be active on Jan. 4 for a randomly selected group of Chrome users.
Chrome users chosen to pilot the new feature—amounting to one percent of users globally—will know they are part of the group if they see a modal pop up, featuring the phrase “Browse with more privacy” and an eye-shaped icon with a strike through it, on the right side of the browser’s address bar on a desktop or Android phone.
The new feature showcases Google’s intent—which is on track so far—to completely phase out third-party cookies in Chrome by the end of 2024. Google also officially made the APIs in the Chrome Privacy Sandbox generally available back in September.
Google says it is rolling out Tracking Protection slowly to make the transition as painless as possible, and that if site functionality suffers, Chrome will automatically temporarily switch cookies back on in order to not disrupt the browsing experience. Read more about the new feature and what it means for digital measurement.
