Tech giant Google has decided to abandon its long-standing plan to block third-party cookies from its Chrome internet browser, a move first announced four years ago.

The UK’s data privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), has expressed disappointment with this decision.

Cookies, small files stored on users’ computers, are crucial for advertisers to track internet activity and target ads effectively. Google’s initial plan aimed to enhance user privacy by eliminating these third-party cookies.

However, the tech giant now intends to pursue a new approach, offering users an “informed choice that applies across their web browsing,” according to a blog post by Google Vice President Anthony Chavez.

He added :”It remains important for developers to have privacy-preserving alternatives. We’ll continue to make the Privacy Sandbox APIs available and invest in them to further improve privacy and utility. We also intend to offer additional privacy controls, so we plan to introduce IP Protection into Chrome’s Incognito mode.”

This decision means that users will still encounter pop-ups asking them to enable or disable cookies in the future.

In a statement, Stephen Bonner, deputy commissioner at the ICO said: “We are disappointed that Google has changed its plans and no longer intends to deprecate third party cookies from the Chrome Browser.

“From the start of Google’s Sandbox project in 2019, it has been our view that blocking third party cookies would be a positive step for consumers.”

Google’s controversial Privacy Sandbox

Historically, third-party cookies have been crucial for digital advertising, allowing companies to track user behavior across various websites and build detailed consumer profiles.

These small files, stored on users’ devices by companies other than the websites they visit, have long facilitated targeted advertising. However, concerns about privacy and data misuse have spurred regulatory scrutiny and calls for reform.

Google’s Privacy Sandbox was designed to address these concerns by replacing individual cookies with broader, semi-anonymous user groups. This approach aimed to balance privacy with effective advertising but faced criticism from privacy advocates, advertisers, and regulators alike. The initiative’s failure to win widespread support and concerns about Google’s market dominance contributed to the decision to keep third-party cookies.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) raised alarms about the potential for Google’s plan to stifle competition by driving more advertisers to its own systems. In response, Google committed to addressing these concerns in 2022. However, the CMA’s scrutiny and pushback from industry players have influenced Google’s recent reversal.

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ICO deputy commissioner Bonner concluded his statement by saying: “Our ambition to support the creation of a more privacy friendly internet continues. Despite Google’s decision, we continue to encourage the digital advertising industry to move to more private alternatives to third party cookies – and not to resort to more opaque forms of tracking.

“We will monitor how the industry responds and consider regulatory action where systemic non-compliance is identified for all companies including Google.”