Google announces that, starting in 2023, its browser Chrome will no longer support i third party cookies.
The news, which appeared some time ago on the blog of the company of the big G (here the link), was accompanied by the declaration of not wanting to replace i Cookies with other tracking systems. The will is to create a network that better protects the privacy of users, along the lines of what has already been implemented by Firefox is Safari.
Big changes are on the horizon, especially for those companies that make online advertising a business and for those sites that take advantage of the Cookies to keep their service free.
There is time to adapt to this radical change (just think that the announcement was made for the first time on 22 August 2019 and it will not be operational before 2023), but how will the web change and what must the companies involved do to adapt?
Let's go in order.
What are cookies?
In technical terms, a cookies is an identification token used by a server-side web application to receive and store information on the client side.
In other words a cookies is "a small file, stored on the computer by websites while browsing, useful for saving preferences and improving the performance of websites (1) ".
To tell the truth, there are different types of Cookies, each with a different function. The most important and known are the so-called technical cookies , which allow a better use of the page and shorter loading times. They are so important that the user's consent is not required for their activation.
But they also exist advertising cookies that require explicit permission. These Cookies they are defined third party cookies, as they do not belong to the owner of the site you are visiting. They are installed by other companies that, after agreement with the owner of the web domain, exploit the Cookies to collect user data for advertising purposes.
It will be the latter who will be retired in 2023.
What changes?
As we said, the purpose of this operation is to privilege the privacy of the individual web user. On the other hand, the risk is that of penalizing enormously the companies operating in the sector of online advertising (including Google itself) and those sites that exploit the third party cookies to keep their service free.
To avoid this, Google proposed a series of solutions, four of which are already in the testing phase. One of the most advanced projects under development is called Federated Learning of Cohorts (FloC).
The goal is to move from an individual profiling system to one collective. The information collected by Cookies should therefore be made anonymous and inserted into groups of users who share similar interests.
In this way it will be possible to continue to collect information, while ensuring the privacy of individuals.
According to estimates by Google, the new technologies will be available starting from the last months of 2022, to allow web developers to adapt to change and migrate their services. While in mid-2023 the third party cookies.
The modalities of the revolution
The timing announced by Google in reality, they have already undergone shifts (initially the transition was scheduled for 2022) and place Google in a position behind the Safari is Firefox, which have already taken anti-tracking measures third party cookies.
This shows that Google it is moving with caution, aware of the enormous extent of this general ecosystem change. After all, the Mountain View company holds the majority of the market shares and draws great benefits from the business of online advertising.
This is a real revolution and, as such, requires mediation between the parties concerned, on the one hand Google and on the other hand developers, publishers and regulators.
Finding a meeting point therefore becomes fundamental, especially for Google itself, which in this way could benefit from numerous advantages.
In particular, Google would like to prevent website operators and advertisers from using alternative tracking methods to Cookies, such as the fingerprinting.
As for the client side, the solutions proposed by Google also serve to discourage the use of programs that block theonline advertising, generally called ad-blocker.
A last but most important aspect concerns the relationship Google/ users. With the changes that will be introduced, it is more than likely that the control exercised by will increase Google ononline advertising.
If external companies can no longer count on anyone cookies, indeed, Google will continue to collect and store data. Any company will want to do web advertising Yes will therefore have to address the great G.
Companies advised ..
