Google says it won't stop third-party browser cookies in Chrome after all

In a surprising turn of events, Google has announced it will no longer end support for third-party cookies in its Chrome browser.

The decision marks a reversal in its drawn-out and frankly delayed plans, which first came about in 2020. The company had initially committed to phasing out third-party cookies and other tracking methods by 2022.

The timeline then became less definitive, with a few significant delays pushing completion back to 2023, then to 2024, then once more to 2025.

Google won’t turn off third-party cookies

In January 2024, the company had initiated a wider phase of testing under the ‘Tracking Protection’ features, which promised to limit sites from using third-party cookies for tracking users.

Instead of disabling cookies, Google will now introduce a new tool designed to allow users to make more informed choices regarding their privacy, rather than rolling out a one-size-fits-all setting.

Anthony Chavez, VP for Privacy Sandbox, said that the transition away from third-party cookies would require “significant work by many participants and will have an impact on publishers, advertisers, and everyone involved in online advertising.”

Recognizing the impacts on the industry, Google has reversed the decision that it has spent four years developing.

However, Chavez reaffirmed the company’s commitment to the Privacy Sandbox initiative, which aims to develop privacy-preserving alternatives to current tracking methods. Moreover, the Privacy Sandbox APIs will remain available, and will continue to be improved.

Throughout the entire process, Google has actively collaborated with the likes of the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office, publishers and advertisers. Despite some resistance, Google pressed on, but it looks like the company may have underestimated the amount of work that needed to go into disabling third-party cookies after all.

TechRadar Pro asked Google to share more context about its decision, but we did not receive an immediate response.