Like Apple, Google planned to end to third-party cookies – the popular tool for tracking users’ activity across the web, and a favorite of advertisers. However, the tech giant announced in late June 2021 that it would delay the demise for two years.
Originally scheduled for early 2022, the removal of third-party cookies will now begin over a three-month period beginning mid-2023 and complete by end 2023. Google claims this decision was made to give advertisers and publishers more time to adjust to changes in ad tracking and targeting. The sunsetting of cookies is part of a larger push by privacy advocates to protect consumer data, and tech giants like Google are looking to balance a desire for privacy with the ability to serve relevant data to advertisers.
Sigh of relief from Ad & Tech vendors everywhere!