Google announced that it will not retire cookies (temporary files for web pages). As soon as the news came out, several advertising professionals were shocked. Google first announced in 2020 that it would gradually eliminate the third-party cookie function on Chrome and would no longer authorize third parties to track user usage habits and visit records. At that time, it caused a panic among advertising agencies and scrambled for help. looking for alternatives.

(Dilemma between interests and privacy! Google has banned third-party cookies for two years. Where is the economic solution to advertising?)

British regulators are worried that Google's complete elimination of cookies will allow Google to monopolize the business of online digital advertising agencies in the future. In February this year, British policymakers asked Google to suspend the project. According to Axios reports, Google announced a few days ago that it "will not eliminate" cookies. This decision has once again aroused discussion from all parties. Google retains the cookie function, which means that users using Chrome in the future will still be placed with cookies to track personal data.

At the same time, Google also allows users to choose how to share data. Users can decide to turn off cookies and choose the advertising messages they need at the same time, giving them more autonomy to protect their privacy and personal information.

Having said that, in recent years, most users have voluntarily turned off the cookie function, and many users have even used VPNs to mask their IP locations. Google's decision not only reveals a U-turn in policy, but also means that users' usage habits have changed, and there is no better way. The alternative can capture the user's consumption behavior and market data. Simply return to the original method and keep the cookie function first.

Google attempts to eliminate cookies through privacy sandbox API instead

Over the past few years, Google has launched several experimental programs to replace cookies for testing in various industries, but none has gained full support from industry partners and regulators.

FLoC was Google's original cookie replacement, a program that was scrapped entirely in 2022, in part because privacy experts worried that the experimental program could inadvertently make it easier for advertising agencies to collect users' personal data.

Google later launched a product called Topics, which allows marketers to determine "topics" for advertising based on user activity records on the Chrome browser.

Google last year began testing a new Tracking Protection feature that restricted multi-party tracking of websites on Chrome.

The overall picture is that despite Google's various experimental options, there is no single solution that can win over all industries.

Anthony Chavez, deputy general manager of Privacy Sandbox APIs at Google, wrote in a blog: "Abandoning and eliminating cookies will require many participants and a huge amount of work, and will also have negative consequences for publishers, advertising agencies, and all users involved in online advertising. All have an impact."

Our goal in developing the Privacy Sandbox is to find more innovative solutions that preserve user privacy in a meaningful way while supporting online advertising agencies and publisher ecosystems, connecting customers and businesses, and being owned by all of us. Provide people with free access to a variety of content.

Throughout the process, we received feedback from various stakeholders, including regulators such as the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), publishers, web developers, basic organizations, private sector and advertising industry. The input allows Google to mediate a fiercely competitive and thriving market between ad agencies and publishers, and encourages stronger privacy features.

Advertising companies, including Google, have shown in early tests that the Privacy Sandbox API has the potential to deliver results. We expect that as industry adoption of Privacy Sandbox APIs increases, overall effectiveness will improve over time. At the same time, we recognize that this transition will require a lot of work from many players and will have an impact on publishers, advertisers, and everyone involved in online advertising.

Chavez added: We will not completely deprecate third-party cookies, but will introduce a new experience in Chrome to allow users to make informed choices when browsing the Internet, and they can adjust their options at any time. We are discussing this new path with regulators and will communicate with industry as it is rolled out.

Ad agencies roll out contingency plan: Unified IDs 2.0

The Trade Desk (TTD) actively promotes Unified IDs, aiming to strike a balance between protecting personal data privacy and advertising commercial activities. The new encrypted online identity authentication is called Unified IDs. This online ID card is an open source online ID card. The new version is called Unified ID 2.0 and uses encrypted email and phone number data to provide digital advertising. A new open source standard system . News media and companies currently using Unified ID 2.0 include Disney, BuzzFeed, Hong Kong01, Adobe, SalesForce, iQiyi, Kobe Shimbun, etc.

Features of UID 2.0 include the ability to integrate personal online identities. Providing users with the ability to freely choose to exit is intended to enhance user control experience and transparency. Personal data is Hash, Salt and Key Encrypted to add extra protection and prevent illegal misuse. Integrates authentication across traditional and mobile apps and online TV without the use of third-party cookies, and supports cross-device and cross-channel authentication.

Business owners slam Google and Apple for hiding tactics from users

In response to Google’s policy U-turn, Jeff Green, CEO and founder of The Trade Desk, criticized Google and Apple’s dark technology practices on LinkedIn.

He said: "Google is once again centered on cookies. I have been telling the advertising industry, Google and even Wall Street for many years that I think Google's abandonment of third-party cookies is a wrong strategy. Now they apparently agree, and Google finally admits that the advertising industry has spent many years We have been saying for a long time that Privacy Sandbox is not a good product and does not fully protect consumers' privacy rights or empower advertisers. This may have the greatest impact on publishers' profitability. Google seems to have finally admitted that it is best for them. The choice is for consumers to choose. The remaining question is, will Google really let consumers choose? Or will they make decisions for consumers and then hide the functional permissions for consumers to change their decisions?”

Apple has taken this step and given it the power to offset the user experience; arguing that permissions can be changed if the user really wants to and is willing to click multiple times to find the button.

User awakening

Everyone is a user and consumer in the digital age. It is natural that users pay. If it is free to use, then the users themselves are the products of the platform. Most Internet users understand that they will leave traces wherever they go on the Internet. , digital advertising and platform systems are trying their best to obtain more useful and effective data in a compliant manner, but users are increasingly concerned about the amount of personal information shared. Users will choose whoever best meets their needs. This is a difficult question. Leave the problem to those who want to sell your goods to worry about.

This article Google decided to abandon the plan to phase out cookies, and user privacy still has no perfect solution. First appeared on Chain News ABMedia.