Google announced a major change to their Privacy Sandbox proposal for third-party cookies. Instead of blocking third-party cookies by default on Chrome browsers, Google now plans to introduce a new experience that lets Chrome users make an “informed choice that applies across their web browsing”.
This does not mean advertisers no longer need to worry about the loss of cookie-based tracking!
A post on the Privacy Sandbox site said, Google “are proposing an updated approach that elevates user choice”.
The new direction Google intends to take is still in discussion with regulators. We expect Google will adopt a solution similar to Apple iOS 14.5 – users will be prompted with a choice of whether or not they’d like to allow third-party tracking cookies, and then will need to go into settings to change their choices. Given Apple’s already had this mechanism in place for more than three years, the regulators are likely to approve Google’s new proposal if it’s similar.
If that is the case, chances are, 75-90% of Chrome users will opt-out of tracking, just like Apple users have done.
The graph above, based on data from Adjust, shows the percentage of users who opt in to allow tracking, by app category, on iOS devices. Across categories, opt-in rates have increased year-on-year from 2023 to 2024.
Google is more likely to present Chrome users with an equally weighted options for opt-in and opt-out, than most cookie banners you see when browsing the web today.
Advertisers cannot relax and think the cookie-based tracking problem is going away. Google will create an alternative solution, and most users given a binary choice will be more likely to opt out.
This means advertisers will still need to make provisions for alternative means to track conversions using APIs from Meta, LinkedIn, DV360, TikTok, Pinterest etc. and to build retargeting audiences for their campaigns.
How to prepare for Google’s cookie opt-in changes
Advertisers who have already implemented Conversions API: You should be fine, and will simply need to check your chosen solution will incorporate Google’s new opt-in feature as and when it goes live. In the meantime, continue acquiring first-party data to future-proof your marketing.
Advertisers who have not implemented Conversions API: Google’s change of plans might not buy you much time. The industry is fairly united in their view that Google hasn’t dropped plans to reduce third-party cookie usage altogether. We expect to see a new proposal in the Privacy Sandbox before the end of the year, followed by rollout in 2025. This means you might have a year to put in place a solution.
