Why Google Chrome Delayed Blocking Third-Party Cookies To 2023?

Google Chrome will delay blocking third-party cookies until late 2023. This is almost a year late from the original deadline. While other browsers like Safari and Firefox have already done it, Chrome is still hesitant about the move.

Blocking third-party cookies on Chrome would also means the incorporation of Google FLoC. We’ve already discussed Google Privacy Sandbox and FLoC in detail. The initiative has received flak from privacy-oriented browsers and search engines for being intrusive.

Google Delays Blocking Third-Party Cookies To Late 2023

Google’s decision to allow third-party cookies till late 2023 comes amidst antitrust hearings against the search giant. This delay is part of the promise that the company made to the U.K. antitrust watchdog, the CMA.

However, the official blog says that the company thinks that “more time is needed across the ecosystem to get this right.” The blog further says that Google needs to “move at a responsible pace” so it can accommodate all the stakeholders.

This gives Google time to revise FLoC and other Privacy Sandbox features. On the other hand, it makes Chrome the only mainstream browser that still hasn’t phased out cookies.

Chrome has offered 30 proposals, out of which 4 are available in origin trials. These proposals will ultimately turn into the final Privacy Sandbox features by late 2023 when Google will get rid of cookies.

We can assume that Google Chrome has delayed blocking third-party cookies because of its sheer presence across platforms. Whatever happens on Chrome will affect millions of users across devices.

Google Walking On A Double-Edged Sword

It seems like the Mountain View search giant has to tread more carefully with its future decisions now. On one hand, privacy advocates have criticized Google for not doing enough, and on the other hand, Google has to be fair to competing advertisers that use third-party cookies.

This puts Google Chrome as well as its ad business, which is under Europe’s scrutiny, in a position of jeopardy. No matter what Google decides, some people are going to be unhappy about it.

In the company’s case, that could also translate to more antitrust trials in the future. It remains to be seen how Google’s delay in blocking third-party cookies pans out for Chrome.

We can also say that being late to the party is better than being ill-prepared for it. This might be true in the case of Google Chrome trying to comply better with antitrust bodies.