Chrome's Reversal on Third‑Party Cookie Deprecation

Contrary to previous plans (and previous plans, and previous plans), Chrome won’t be deprecating third-party cookies any time soon. It’s not necessarily a hard stop, but Google is moving in a different direction by investing more time into the ongoing development of alternatives through Privacy Sandbox APIs. New upcoming changes are still on the horizon for Chrome users, but the updates will be related to user experience and choice, rather than blocking third-party data collection by default.

Longer timelines can sometimes create the impression that progress isn't being made, but that's not the case here. The cancellation wasn't due to Google's efforts falling short in terms of the technology. Solutions like FLoC were actually too effective and introduced even more privacy concerns and discussions with global regulators. The new open-ended deprecation timeline is meant to give extra time for testing and for expanded participation. Behind the scenes, there are several Privacy Sandbox proposals that are rolled out and already available, like FLEDGE, Attribution API, and Topics API. You can see usage data in Google’s dashboards here: https://pscs.glitch.me/

I work alongside a lot of data and media pros at Bounteous x Accolite, and this has driven interesting conversations and POVs about the topic. While the halt of the deprecation phaseout is a big announcement, the overall sentiment is that the news doesn’t really change much. For those who have been taking advantage of GMP automations, AI features, modeling, and privacy-focused investments, it's business as usual. The news isn't a signal to continue relying on third-party cookies. New methods are still preferred over cookie-based approaches, and initiatives around audiences continue to prioritize leveraging first-party data as much as possible.

Ensuring users have privacy and control over how they’re tracked will always (rightfully) be the guiding principle, regardless of new technologies, platform updates, or tracking solutions. Third-party cookies will eventually be deprecated in Chrome, which would follow the existing third-party cookie restrictions that have already been implemented and continue to evolve for Safari, Firefox, Opera, and other browsers.

Cookies no longer dominate the industry as they once did, and leveraging a blend of probabilistic and deterministic data remains best practice. Cookies themselves can be considered probabilistic for user identification due to their lack of cross-device or cross-browser functionality. As the industry progresses, more advanced probabilistic methods like behavior modeling and machine learning are gaining wider adoption, as seen in Google Analytics 4’s use of observed and unobserved data.

The deterministic data is where there’s more certainty and trust around connecting user activity across experiences (both online and offline). Some example methods include the User-ID feature in Google Analytics 4, integrated authentication data, and CRM/CDP integrations. For media tools, the first-party data can then be used for user- and conversion-modeling, look-alike audiences, and data-driven creatives.

No matter what cookie update, AI update, or Privacy Sandbox API release, methods that use first-party data are always going to be the most valuable solution.

Will this affect cookie data in Google Analytics 4?

Most data in Google Analytics 4 is unaffected by third-party cookie changes and updates (both in Chrome and in other browsers). The influence of third-party data is mainly related to data that's not directly collected by your site or app, like demographics and interests. Google Analytics 4’s Signals feature uses third-party data, but it's closely tied to users’ privacy choices. If users opt out of ads personalization in their Chrome profile, GA4 will abide by that setting. Beyond Signals, there are other options and levers to control how and where any third-party data is used since the platform was built to handle compliance. Even though third-party cookies aren't being deprecated in Chrome, data practices can be managed responsibly.

What’s Next?

In regards to cookie technology, “What’s next?” is going to be a question for years to come. If you’re a digital marketer who uses SA360, DV360, or Google Ads, continue to break away from third-party cookies and keep up-to-date on every new technology rolling out for Google Marketing Platform (GMP) tools. Or, if you’re a developer, you can join in on the development! Google has made the project and its APIs publicly available for experimentation and origin trials.

Ultimately, Chrome's reversal on deprecation makes sense, given the complexities of technological development, privacy laws, global advertiser needs, and international regulatory collaboration. There's a lot at stake - Google's compliance is monitored and watched more closely than any other organization. One benefit that came from the announcements, delays, and temporary cancellation is the renewed attention to the massive Privacy Sandbox efforts.

The focus will remain on privacy-safe, first-party, and user-consented strategies. In addition, strategy shouldn’t stop at platform capabilities and APIs. User experience solutions go hand-in-hand with tools. Providing value to authenticated users, having clear privacy and data collection information, and letting users choose their preferred level of personalization are all related to enhancing transparency to drive more engagement.