The advertising industry has been reacting to Google‘s announcement that, after four years of work on killing-off the so-called cookie tech in its browsers, it now plans to keep the controversial digital activity-tracking widgets after all.
Anthony Chavez, vice president of the Google’s Privacy Sandbox initiative, made the statement Monday.
Here’s what some of the top adland leaders in the world are saying about the change of plan and what it means for tech firms, brands and web users…
Jon Mew, CEO, IAB UK
“This news represents a significant shift in Google’s approach to third-party cookies, but it isn’t and shouldn’t be a return to cookies as the default.
“Our industry has made huge progress over the past four years and this process has irrevocably reshaped the digital ecosystem – that doesn’t just evaporate with the removal of Google’s cookie deadline.
“The reality is that a big proportion of the open web can’t be addressed by third-party cookies already so continuing to pursue other ways of targeting and measuring audiences is vital.
“It’s also important to note that the ICO has responded by encouraging the industry ‘to move to more private alternatives to third-party cookies – and not to resort to more opaque forms of tracking’.
“Many of our members have more questions than clarity this morning and we are working to ensure that we get answers and the industry’s views are heard.
“Ultimately, our hope is that the removal of Google’s deadline restores a level of certainty and control to the wider industry that is conducive to further productive collaboration and development in this area.
“We will continue to support all of our members on this journey.”
Karen Nelson-Field, CEO & Founder, Amplified Intelligence
“Not only is this decision unsurprising, but it also doesn’t change the current path of media measurement evolution. Focus has long been shifting towards attention as a key metric for understanding what was seen, not simply observed – and it’s going to keep moving that way.
“Live assessment of real human attention will still be essential to fix the long tail of poor impressions from those who don’t opt out.
“Equally, attention will also provide a vital means of refined audience segmentation if users do switch off cookies.
“Regardless of what action Google takes, the industry will continue its forward attention-led progress.”
Piero Pavone, CEO, Preciso
“Google’s decision to backtrack on deprecating third-party cookies in its Chrome browser is disappointing, but not surprising.
“It’s four years since Google first announced its intention to phase out third-party cookies in 2021, since when it has been delay after delay.
“All the while, Google’s alternative, the Privacy Sandbox, has met with criticism from advertisers and publishers, and concerns from regulators over its potential to cause ad spend to become even more concentrated on Google’s ecosystem at the expense of its competitors.
“To all those companies that have been seeking an alternative to third-party cookies, my advice would be to keep going.
“As this latest announcement shows, relying on Google to stick to its promises is a dangerous game to play.”
Suz Chaplin, Founder and CEO, ESBconnect
Google’s decision not to scrap third-party cookies speaks volumes for the challenge they faced in devising a ‘privacy-safe internet’ which was competitively advantageous to them.
“Cookies have their flaws, but no one corporation controls them – any move towards their removal or replacement needs to be a solution that comes from the wider industry.
“Marketers should still understand, however, that third-party cookies on other browsers, such as Safari and Firefox, are automatically blocked, and with the ICO changing consent requirements with a Consent Management Platform, marketers should still consider how best to opt-in their data and build first-party data.”
“With the view that 40% of the internet is not accessible by third-party cookies, this is only set to continue and marketers should not falter on their strategies to take control of their own data.”
James Macdonald, Co-founder & Chief Revenue Officer, Limelight Inc
“Google’s volte-face comes as no real surprise. It’s clear that the status quo of maintaining cookies looks, at least in the shorter term to be all about…Google, rather than anything of any real benefit to the industry.,
“What seems clear is that Google is yet again setting the agenda, managing to control and influence gigantic chunks of revenue in the ad tech world. This really can’t be a healthy situation in the longer term.
“So how will the industry react to this handbrake 180? I’m sure there was a broad collective intake of relief-laden breath from a broad section of the community this morning, but also some serious head-scratching from the nascent industry that has emerged to deliver targeting solutions based on the direction Google seemed to be headed in until last night.
“The dollars spent across the landscape forging solutions and alternatives may feel wasted, but this is not so.
“What is still clear is that businesses should continue to develop first-party data options, as well as forensic contextual strategy, and ultimately be more self-determining and in charge of their own destinies.”
Geoffroy Martin, CEO, Ogury
“In response to regulatory and market pressure, Google will be leaving the decision of whether or not to use third-party cookies up to consumers.
“It remains to be seen how it will implement this change, but if other ecosystems are any indication, this might lead to a vast majority opting out of tracking.
“Advertising identifiers have already been phased out from Safari and Firefox, they are shrinking overtime on Chrome as well, and 50% of traffic on the open internet doesn’t have cookies.
“As a result, advertisers are already experiencing a decrease in cookie availability for their campaigns, while heightened demand is driving up prices.
“The reality is our industry is at a decisive turning point in the protection of consumer data, and this shift began long before Google made the decision to deploy the Privacy Sandbox.
“With all the above in mind, advertisers should not view Google’s announcement as an opportunity to postpone their move to solutions that are not exclusively relying on 3rd party identifiers.
“It’s pointless for our industry to cling to a model that is doomed to disappear. Rather, it’s time for advertisers to invest in alternative solutions which allow them to scale independently of future industry decisions, while prioritising consumer privacy.”
Mike Khouri, CEO, Tactical
“Google’s decision to abandon plans to remove cookies from Chrome is no surprise, given repeated delays.
“While this benefits advertisers in the short term, it does raise ongoing privacy concerns for users and displeases regulators.
“This reversal underscores the tension between user privacy and advertiser needs, something we’ll likely see play out for a while longer yet.”
David Shaw, Co-Founder & CEO, Cedara
“The recent news that Google will no longer be removing third-party cookies from Chrome brings mixed reactions. On one hand, it’s important to highlight that third-party cookies contribute to higher energy consumption.
“The digital marketing industry has such an incredible impact on the environment, and the inclusion of 3rd party cookies demands higher energy output.
“However, there is a silver lining. The prolonged debate over the fate of third-party cookies has been a huge distraction. Now that this chapter is closed, the industry has an opportunity to refocus sustainability which is a more pressing issue.
“Refocusing our efforts on sustainability will yield far greater benefits for both the industry and the environment.”
Matthew Doherty, CEO North America, EXTE
“Google’s potential decision to keep third-party cookies while rolling out new privacy controls highlights the need for alternative solutions in digital advertising.”
“With the industry expecting a future without cookies, it’s clear that we need to explore different approaches. Contextual targeting, which focuses on the web page’s content rather than tracking individual behaviour, stands out as a key alternative.”
“This method is important for privacy compliance, user experience, and brand safety.
“As privacy regulations evolve, contextual targeting offers a reliable and effective option, ensuring relevant and respectful advertising even without relying on cookies. Its reliability provides security in the ever-changing digital advertising landscape.”
Marisa Nelson, Executive VP, Marketing & Comms, Equativ
“This latest twist in the deprecation ride is another encouraging sign of Google’s receptivity to industry feedback.
“But while a full cookie phase-out is finally off the cards, ensuring we continue to provide robust privacy-preserving technologies remains crucial.
“All of the hard work companies have devoted to developing and testing alternative solutions has driven a positive step forward that mustn’t be dialled back.
“Instead of taking this decision as an excuse to reinstate business as usual, the industry should welcome the major innovation that has taken place over the last four years, driven by Google’s many delays, and commit to giving consumers better choices about how their data is used, now and in the future”
Andrew Barber, Head of Digital Media Ops, IMA Global
“Whilst 3P cookies aren’t going away anymore, the overall outcome may be the same.
“Google is adopting something similar to Apples ATT prompt within Chrome, still giving users control over their data.
“A lot of work has already been done on the Privacy Sandbox, and with the APIs still existing, it now poses the challenge that there are even more complex routes to market.
“Plus, it makes the space even more fragmented than it was previously.”
Amy Lawrence, Chair, IPA
“Whilst Google’s announcement rippled around the industry on Monday evening, the initial shock that it wasn’t just another delay, swiftly turned into pragmatism on Tuesday morning.
“For a long time agencies have been working closely with their clients to ensure robust testing in this area, and this will continue with a multi-signal approach as essential as ever.
“Although not yet clear what the new User Choice will look like, it is safe to assume that we will see significant signal loss – with an obvious comparison being the release and subsequent impact of iOS 14.5 in 2021.
“We will continue to leverage our relationships with Google to gain more clarity on the changes, all the while continuing to tread the testing path we have already laid out.”
Eric Chun, EVP, MD Strategic Analytics, FCB Chicago
“This is a clear bottom-line driven move that reflects shifting consumer behaviour on search, the technical challenges involved in trying to build an alternative ID solution as equally lucrative, and also the lack of a true privacy benefit that in totality outweighs the lost revenue potential.
“Search has changed since Google first announced its ambitions in January 2020.
“Today, more and more of traditional search is zero click searching meaning a user doesn’t actually click through to any website or link.
“Further, with ChatGPT and other AI technologies along with TikTok and Amazon search, Google has seen its invisibility and total monopoly in Search erode.
“To continue appealing to advertisers and protect revenue, this is an about-face Google had to do.”
Chris Hogg, Chief Revenue Officer, Lotame
“Google may no longer be ending third-party cookies by its own hand, but the slow march of progress will still see them rendered obsolete sooner or later.
“Users and regulators are increasingly privacy-focused and, given cookies will be “opt-in” across the board, there will still be a need for other signals to fill the gaps — especially across channels where cookies are long gone or were never present to begin with.
“The fate of third-party cookies will be as a small part of an ever-expanding array of data points, becoming less relevant over time as more privacy-first, platform-agnostic solutions evolve.
“No one that wishes to remain competitive should think they can take their foot off the pedal of first-party data collection and strategic data collaboration.”
Roy Yanai, VP Product, AppsFlyer
“Google’s statement that it will give user’s the choice over consent is vague and creates a very important question: Will users need to opt-in or opt-out?
“When Apple launched its ATT (App Tracking Transparency) framework in 2021, which gave users the choice to opt-in rather than opt-out, we saw the number of “tracked” users drop from 85% to 20%. Whether this will be the case for Google users is yet to be seen.
“Google’s aspiration is ultimately to provide a better end user privacy preserving technology while allowing ad efficacy.
“Google has been very proactive with the development of the Privacy Sandbox, making a major effort to push the ecosystem to test and validate its viability.
“This new ‘middle ground’ is a way for Google to approve some kind of cookie deprecation with regulators and get more players on the Sandbox.
“Eventually, once sufficient marketplace liquidity (enough players on Sandbox) has been achieved, Google might make another move to deprecate third party cookies altogether.”
Mark Debenham, VP Growth Marketing & Marketing Ops, Adverity
“Google’s decision to keep third-party cookies is a win for those who have prioritised flexible data management.
“Businesses already working with infrastructure that allows them to switch between different data sources and targeting approaches will be well-placed to adapt in line with varying insight access — including using cookies if users opt in and alternative mechanisms when they don’t.
“This ability to easily balance privacy preferences with data-driven marketing highlights how essential robust data management practices are for maintaining a competitive edge amidst evolving technologies like the Sandbox API.”
Rodney Perry, Head of Data & Analytics UK, Making Science
”Google’s decision ultimately levels the playing field, as both cookie-based and cookie-less solutions will have the opportunity to compete for user attention and drive performance.
“Amid this U-turn, brands are advised to focus on leveraging first-party data, especially since other browsers have already eliminated third-party cookies.
“It will no doubt be interesting to see how this dual approach will evolve and which solutions will contribute to maintaining a thriving digital advertising ecosystem while addressing privacy concerns.”
Jason Warner, Director UK & EMEA, SBS
“Initially, I was shocked by the news, but after some reflection, it seems we can finally turn the page on this issue and focus on more pressing matters. The decision brings much-needed clarity to the industry.
“Allowing users to adjust privacy settings in Chrome to eliminate tracking is, in my opinion, a brilliant solution.
This approach doesn’t discard the industry’s efforts to find alternatives to cookies. Instead, it puts the choice back into the hands of consumers, empowering them to decide their preferences.
“Brands now have a range of ways to reach their target audiences, based on how users want to be tracked. Ultimately, this leads to a fairer and more equitable internet for all.”
Ben Cicchetti, SVP, Marketing & Communications, InfoSum
“Google’s announcement doesn’t change the fact that third-party cookies remain bad for consumer privacy.
“We already operate in a largely cookieless ecosystem, and any comprehensive media strategy must therefore account for numerous cookie-free environments, including display advertising on Safari and Firefox and emerging channels like CTV, retail media, and gaming platforms.
“Forward-thinking organisations will continue to innovate and adopt privacy-focused approaches to data use and advertising.
“First-party data remains the cornerstone for advertisers seeking to reach consumers with the right message at the right moment, while media owners need it to serve relevant advertising to their audiences.
“It’s critical that customer-centric businesses prioritise privacy-first, secure ways to collaborate, bridging the gap between consumer privacy expectations and effective, relevant advertising.”
Christoph Kruse, Marketing Director, MINT
“The continuation of third-party cookies will surely bring some relief to the advertising world, but it is not the solution that solves all challenges the industry is still facing.
“Despite the availability of cookies, we have seen a decline in acceptance of such cookies.
A third of global internet users use ad blockers that also have an effect on the tracking capabilities and a substantial number of users have become more privacy aware and don’t always accept all cookies when the prompt appears on a site.
“So even when third-party cookies won’t be deprecated completely by Google, there might be a significant drop of available data.
“In previous years, the AI-powered shift from personal to predictive marketing has seen advertisers keeping impressive results while not being dependent on granular targeting.
“The large advertising platforms already offer automated bidding or advanced contextual targeting that ensures high performance even when there is not enough data for personal targeting.
“It will be key for marketers to take the birds-eye view and compare platforms and channels in real-time to adjust investments continually and ensure high performance to stay successful in the long run.”
Marçal Serrate, Director of Data Technology, Azerion
“This news has sent ripples through the industry. While it may appear as a reprieve for advertisers who rely heavily on cookie-based tracking, the industry’s trajectory towards enhanced privacy and user consent remains unchanged.
“The move to a consent-based model implies that despite Google retaining third-party cookies, their efficacy is bound to diminish.
“Google’s revised strategy echoes Apple’s implementation of App Tracking Transparency in iOS, which resulted in 60-70% of users opting out of tracking and drastically reduced the available granular data that advertisers had relied on.
“At Azerion, we’ve observed that a significant portion of our user base comes from environments other than Google Chrome, accounting for 50% of our web traffic.
“As users become more aware of privacy issues, the likelihood of them opting out of tracking increases and will inevitably lead to a reduction in the cookie-based data available.
“The shift towards user consent and privacy-centric approaches signifies a fundamental change in how digital advertising will function. Publishers and advertisers should prepare for a future with increasingly scarce granular tracking data and cookie-based traffic.
“This means continuing to innovate and adapt to a world where user privacy is paramount by employing diversified data sources, investing in privacy-compliant technologies and enhancing user engagement.
“By planning for a future with less reliance on cookie-based tracking, we can ensure sustainable and effective advertising strategies.”
Mateusz Rumiński, VP of Product, PrimeAudience
“The work on the Privacy Sandbox has been a spectacular effort by a range of companies for over four years now.
The brightest engineering minds have tried to tackle the seemingly impossible task of balancing user privacy protection with advertising utility for a thriving open web.
“While today’s announcement does not undermine this effort, it will definitely discourage the broader ecosystem from embracing these solutions, which is not a good thing. Cookies will eventually lose relevance, leaving advertisers and publishers with tools less refined than they could have been.
“I am looking forward to hearing more details on Google’s proposal, as well as what regulators have to say about it. Based on the information available today, this change could cause even more chaos for the open web than a reasonable phase-out plan would.”
Jay Stevens, CCO, Permutive
“Google’s announcement on their stay of execution of the cookie in Chrome is more of a recusal from the debate. By more easily putting the power in the hand of the consumer, they can change the conversation and get out of what was previously a no-win position.”
“But in fact, the horse has already bolted from the barn as more than 65% of consumers already have cookies disabled, including the billion iOS/Safari users representing the most valuable consumers on earth.”
“Google’s move, by making it easy for consumers to disable cookies will only further widen the gap.”
“Smart advertisers are developing strategies away from cookie-based advertising to utilizing publisher signals. These advertisers are experiencing two to three times the reach, increased sales, and lower CPAs, crossing the reachability chasm.”
Jochen Schlosser, Chief Technology Officer, Adform
“It’s quite astonishing that Google has decided not to deprecate third-party cookies, opting instead for a new approach to consent. Why couldn’t this strategy have been done in parallel and even independently?
“This shift comes after years of effort from industry participants to prepare for a Sandbox future, one without 3rd-party cookies, raising questions about the consistency and reliability of Google’s approach.
“In the downstream of it, there is one central change. This move gets Google out of the gridlock of the CMA. In addition, Google’s ability to control the fate of cookies through other mechanisms still leaves all power in its hands, and so this move does not change the control dynamics.
“Likely without any type of regulatory approval, this development also underscores the ongoing tension between new regulations in the fields of privacy and competition law against the influence that “Very Large Platforms” have on many dimensions of the Internet.
“Despite today’s announcement, Google still stays at the helm of crucial decisions and regulators will struggle to keep up with the pace and Google’s ability to pivot from even such fundamental changes.”
Travis Clinger, SVP, Activations and Addressability, LiveRamp
“Yesterday’s update from Google Chrome is a major development and welcome news for those still preparing for a cookieless future, but not one that changes where our ecosystem is headed: marketers want to personalise and measure the consumer journey, while consumers rightfully want unprecedented control and transparency of their privacy.
“Whether it’s across display, social, search, SMS, email, and more, consumers are spending time on multiple platforms, and that’s increasingly on CTV and mobile apps – two of third-party cookies’ most glaring blind spots.
“Cookies’ strength, open web programmatic advertising, is just one of the many channels where marketers need to engage their customers.
“As such, over the past five years, marketers have been strategically shifting away from third-party signals to better performing, authenticated signals – and we expect that shift to continue.
“This announcement reinforces the need for the industry to embrace authenticated identity, while simultaneously using the cookie to maximise reach.”
Robert Vandennieuwenhuysen, Head of Programmatic & Adtech, True
“While there is a lot of detail missing from the announcement around the change in approach Google will be taking as well as timelines, there is one thing that still seems clear – the prevalence of the 3p cookie will continue to decline and user privacy is no less important today than it was yesterday.
“Adtech has invested heavily in future proofed methods of targeting and measurement and I would fully expect the best solutions to continue to be adopted by agencies and advertisers, particularly given that there are many popular browsers that are already cookieless environments.
“At True, we will continue to test various solutions to ensure our advertisers can address as many of their target audience as possible.”
Scott Tieman, Global Head of Adtech & Martech, Star
“Consumers want control over the way that their data is collected, stored and leveraged for marketing purposes, so giving consumers a choice is a good thing.
“Although some are happy to share data, many will opt out and so the amount of third party data available to advertisers will be reduced further.
“The result is that the industry will hang on to cookies a bit longer, though there will be less data available and so it will be the start of a decline.
“Advertisers and many industry players who still rely on cookies may continue to benefit in the short term, though they will now have to manage two systems and still plan for a future without cookies.
“While Google is saying it will no longer deprecate cookies, it’s hard to believe that it won’t eventually make that decision. Its decision not to abandon the Privacy Sandbox indicates that it will continue to pursue alternative options and may change its mind again when the time is right.”
Will Harmer, Chief Product Officer, Utiq
“Utiq’s testing with top European web publishers and advertisers shows that 50% of inventory is already cookieless. This excludes Connected TV (CTV) and mobile apps, where Google’s plans are still unclear.
“However, cookies – even if they are present – are a poor proxy for a person.
“Again, Utiq data shows that on average, a single person today is represented by multiple third party cookies. This means they were never a good solution for advertising in the first place.
“For a sustainable, dynamic open web, the industry must wrestle control from a few dominant gatekeepers who have held sway for too long. Before the open web becomes less valuable for everyone, something has to change.
“It’s time to embrace new technologies and establish a more balanced and transparent ecosystem that prioritizes user consent.
“Working together as an industry, we can empower trusted and responsible digital marketing that fosters quality ad-funded content and online services with data privacy at their heart.