Google delays third-party cookie end date

Third-party cookies are on the way out. That hasn’t changed.

But they just got a major reprieve. 

On June 24, Google revealed plans to postpone the end of third-party cookies to late 2023. 

Google’s original announcement in January 2020 — third-party cookies would be gone in two years — spurred months of industry-wide urgency and collaboration. 

We’ve spent the last 18 months on the frontlines of these developments, engaging with Google and other industry leaders to smooth the transition into the future of digital advertising and advocate for publishers’ best interests.

The stakes are high. Today, the open web thrives on free, ad-supported content. Any future changes to advertising MUST protect the wonderful diversity found in our community and across the internet, where high-quality, original content earns the revenue it deserves! 

And we’re thrilled that Google heard our collective voices.  

This extension presents an opportunity for us and other leaders in the industry to spend more time with Google to ensure that new technologies work well for everyone in the online ecosystem — people who enjoy content on the internet, people who want to advertise their business, and people who create content.

Why is Google holding off on removing third-party cookies?

Google ultimately decided to delay this transition to protect publishers’ business models.

Google’s Privacy Sandbox proposals aim to replace third-party cookie functionality, but the proposals have been met with a lot of debate and strong reactions. When FLoC, one of the key components of the Privacy Sandbox, went into testing this spring, it faced major privacy concerns. The FLoC trials couldn’t even run in the entire EU due to GDPR. 

Other Privacy Sandbox proposals saw similar delays and objections from privacy advocates. FLEDGE, a stepping stone towards the more sophisticated TURTLEDOVE proposal, had testing delayed until later this year. First Party Sets, another part of the Privacy Sandbox, ran into challenges within the World Wide Web Consortium. The UK Competition and Markets Authority is looking for Google’s public commitment that it will not damage competition with the Privacy Sandbox.

Thankfully, Google recognizes that rebuilding the technical foundations of digital advertising is a complex and intricate process, and is willing to take the time to do it right for everyone involved.

What does this mean for CafeMedia publishers?

This is good news for your ad revenue in 2022 and beyond!

While this news extends the uncertainty our industry faces, it also gives us more time to prepare and build solutions that will work for the future world of digital advertising. 

If you’d like to understand how CafeMedia can help you make the most money today and in the private future, get in touch.

What does this mean for advertisers?

This means you can continue buying the open web as you do today — no big cookie-related changes are coming in the next two years. This gives us all more time to collaborate on the right solutions for users, advertisers and publishers. The open web remains the best place to reach consumers as they engage with the best and most diverse content on the internet.

If you’d like to learn more about these new advertising technologies and how they might work for you, email us at hello@cafemedia.com.

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With these precious additional months, we can advance even more creative ideas and give the industry the opportunity to hear from more publishers, advertisers, and consumers to consider every angle.

Google isn’t the only company envisioning privacy-friendly forms of advertising — AdRoll’s privacy specs, Microsoft’s PARAKEET, Facebook’s Ad Topic Hints, Apple’s Private Click Measurement, and the New York Times’ GARUDA are all promising proposals. Diverse ideas from across the ecosystem are critical to creating new technologies that protect users and also enhance competition.

We’re excited to continue our work to push the industry forward and build a web that is:

• Private for users
• Supported by advertising from great brands
• A level-playing field for publishers of all sizes

Let’s make the next two years count!