Why Is Google Removing 3rd Party Cookies? Google has shifted gears in the world of digital ads. They plan to block third-party cookies in Chrome by late 2024. This is part of what Google calls its Privacy Sandbox initiative. It is designed to preserve user anonymity and address problems with data collection and advertising.
Third-party cookies refer to codes from other websites that monitor your activities on the internet. Google is now joining other large browsers like Firefox, Brave, and Safari in putting an end to these cookies. They have been blocking them for a while.
Let me break it to you, even if 3rd party cookies cookies are gone, websites still require your permission to get data. They cannot track or advertise to you without your permission first. Google has features like Google Consent Mode for this, which was released in September 2020.
Key Takeaways
- Google stated that 3rd party cookies cookies will be phased out in Chrome by the end of 2024 as part of Privacy Sandbox.
- Third-party cookies facilitate cross-site identification and tracking, which is worrisome to users’ privacy.
- Other major browsers such as Firefox, Brave, and Safari have been blocking third-party cookies for years now.
- While 3rd party cookies are on the way out, the necessity to ask users for permission to capture and store data is still going to remain.
- Google has launched several innovations such as Google Consent Mode to highlight consent for users’ privacy.

Third-Party Cookies
Cookies are small text files that websites put on your browser. They come in two types: These include first-party and 3rd party cookies. First-party cookies improve your experience such as items placed in the cart or if you are logged in.
Third-party cookies are those cookies that originate from sources other than the website that you are currently visiting. They follow your movements from one site to the other. This informs them of what you like so that they can show you ads that would interest you.
What are Third-Party Cookies?
These cookies have created privacy to be an issue of concern for many people. That is why there are laws such as the GDPR in Europe and the CCPA in California to prevent such cases from happening. Some people claim that one must consent to being followed by a website.
A lot of people have something to say about third-party cookies. Some say they make ads more relevant to the consumer as in the case of personalized ads. Some believe they are a danger to privacy. For this reason, big celebrities such as Google, are planning to stop them shortly.
Characteristic | First-Party Cookies | 3rd party cookies |
Origin | Created by the website the user is visiting. | Created by a website other than the one the user is visiting. |
Purpose | Improve user experience, such as saving shopping cart items or login status. | Monitor user activity on many websites to allow for more focused advertising. |
Privacy Concerns | Generally considered less interfering as they are directly related to the website being visited. | Raise greater privacy concerns due to their ability to track user behavior across the web. |
Regulations | Subject to less strict regulations, as they are directly related to the website being visited. | Subject to more strict regulations, such as GDPR and CCPA, which require specific user consent. |
These differences are presented in the table, comparing first-party cookies to 3rd party cookies. It also highlights the privacy concerns and restrictions on Third Party Cookies.
Why is Google removing 3rd party cookies
As part of Google’s Privacy Sandbox project, the firm is preparing to phase out third-party cookies from Chrome. The purpose of this project is to provide new open standards for better privacy on the web. It comes with APIs and protections to enable advertisement without following the visitors from one site to another.
It makes it possible for browsers to share information about users safely by using the Topics API. With Protected Audience, advertisers can deliver ads without ever tracking the users that are being targeted. Not demanding privacy annoying tracking, Private State Tokens assist inform if a user is real or a fake.
Third-party cookies are not used to follow users across sites, yet Attribution Reporting can determine ad effectiveness. Adopting first-party data will be the new normal since 3rd party cookies will be out of the picture. As brands adapt to a privacy-first environment, this transition will greatly impact digital advertising.
The Privacy Sandbox, therefore, refers to a group of open standards currently under development by Google to help boost privacy in the web space. Google has said that it will block 3rd party cookies in Chrome by 2024, which will give marketers a window in which to adapt.
The authors predict that advertisers will increasingly rely on first-party data for targeting. Bigger organizations are likely to benefit more from this shift than the ones that directly collect first-party data.
First, companies should rely on their first-party cookies, newsletter, quality content, Google’s Topics API, and user accounts to deal with Google’s cookie changes. It is therefore important to switch from traditional cookie-based digital marketing approaches and attention to the control of data.
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Conclusion
Google and other big browsers have made a big switch by removing third-party cookies. This change shows the level of concern given to the user’s privacy. Now, websites have no right to gather or keep information on browsers without receiving clear permission from the users.
Bidding farewell to third-party cookies: With third-party cookies decreasing, websites and advertisers are going to have to adapt. They will have to pay more attention to their numbers and obtain user permission. Perhaps, it could also investigate novel targeting mechanisms, such as Google Topics API and Google FLEDGE API.
Advertisers and owners of websites will have to adjust to rules like the GDPR or the CCPA. This means first-party cookies, and consent must be acquired before users are tracked. They can also opt for Google’s Attribution Reporting API or data clean rooms as substitutes.
Google Chrome remains slow to block 3rd party cookies compared to Apple’s Safari and Mozilla’s Firefox. This proves the complexity of the privacy and digital advertising dilemma. However, it has been seen that cookie policies and data protection will only continue to evolve in the near future. This will make the web more privacy-minded for everybody.
FAQs
Why is Google removing third-party cookies?
Google is going to phase 3rd party cookies out of Chrome by 2024 at the latest. This is part of its Privacy Sandbox initiative, which is aimed at giving users more control over their privacy while using Google services. To achieve these objectives, the focus is to safeguard user privacy and limit tracking and advertising.
What are third-party cookies?
Third-party cookies are other parties’ cookies that run the code on the browser you use. Also, they assist in tracking your activity across the various sites you visit.
How are 3rd party cookies different from first-party cookies?
First-party cookies are placed by the Web site visited by the user and are necessary for improving the user’s browsing experience. Some of the things they include are for example what you have placed in your cart or if you are signed in. Third-party cookies are implemented from other sites and watch your every move on the internet.
What is Google's Privacy Sandbox initiative?
Privacy Sandbox is an initiative by Google aimed at increasing users’ privacy on the World Wide Web. It also contains new APIs and tools which are the Topics API and the Protected Audience. These help with ads without needing to follow users across websites.
How will the removal of third-party cookies impact website owners and advertisers?
Since 3rd party cookies are set to disappear, sites and advertisers will target their data as a result. Some will have to adapt to new rules because of the specific privacy laws. Consent might be replaced with tracking the users instead.