Google plans to phase out third-party cookies in Chrome by 2023
Google released the latest timeline of the privacy sandbox program, which shows that Chrome is planning to phase out third-party cookies in the three months from mid-2023 to the end of 2023.
In early 2020, Google announced a plan in the privacy sandbox to eliminate third-party cookies in Chrome. However, in subsequent updates, it said that the entire ecosystem needs more time to achieve this goal. For example, it takes time for publishers and the advertising industry to migrate, to help ensure that cookies are not replaced by alternative forms of personal tracking, and to prevent the rise of covert methods such as fingerprinting.
Now, Google has finally provided a clearer timetable for phasing out third-party cookies within three months from the middle of 2023 to the end of 2023. Before that, it hopes to launch some key technologies by the end of 2022, including the FLoC technique and other privacy protection APIs. In short, its plan to phase out third-party cookies is divided into two phases:
- Stage 1 (Starting late-2022): Once testing is complete and APIs are launched in Chrome, we will announce the start of stage 1. During stage 1, publishers and the advertising industry will have time to migrate their services. We expect this stage to last for nine months, and we will monitor adoption and feedback carefully before moving to stage 2.
- Stage 2 (Starting mid-2023): Chrome will phase out support for third-party cookies over a three month period finishing in late 2023.
It is reported that the current timetable is still subject to the approval of the UK Competition and Market Authority.
