Google has begun blocking third-party cookies for Chrome users.
Only 1% of Chrome users now have tracking protection turned on.
Years after starting the Privacy Sandbox project, Google has just turned off third-party cookies for 1% of Chrome users. Late last year, the company said that on January 4, it would start by turning off cookies for a random 1% of Chrome users around the world. Gizmodo says that this means Google has killed cookies for 30 million people since Chrome has more than half of the world’s browser market share.
When people who are part of this rollout open their computers, they will see a message telling them they are one of the first to use tracking Protection. Tracking Protection also tells them that sites can’t use third-party cookies to follow them around as they explore. These changes will affect most people who use the internet, but some websites may not be ready for them yet. Google will let users temporarily enable third-party cookies again. To turn off the new feature, they can click on the eye icon that’s now on their browser bar.
As its name suggests, Google’s Privacy Sandbox project was made to be an alternative to cookies that will let marketers show ads to users while still protecting their privacy. Based on what users have been browsing recently, it puts them into groups based on their hobbies, and advertisers can use that information to show them ads that are more relevant to them. All data and processing happen on the device itself, and Google says it will store user interests for three weeks. The method is meant to be less intrusive than cookies. The police are interested in the project because they think it will make the company even stronger than it already is. But if everything goes well, Google will keep rolling out tracking protection over the next few months until all Chrome users can’t use third-party cookies by the middle of 2024.
Credit: by Google News