Google Removing Third Party Cookies: 4 Alternatives To Try

Google announced in January 2020 that Chrome would no longer accept third-party marketing cookies. According to the announcement, this cookie regulation would become a reality in 2022. However, eliminating the cookies for only one percent of Chrome happened only in the first quarter of 2024. Reaching the second half of 2024, cookies were supposed to be completely phased out. But, when will Google deprecate 3rd party cookies? The complete cookie deprecation is postponed to the beginning of 2025. How will Google removing third party cookies change everything? Two-thirds of industry experts say it will not improve consumers' control over data.Quest Labs is here to explore and discuss Google's decision to remove third-party cookies.

How Are Third-Party Cookies Used?

Cookies collect user demographic data, such as age, gender, and preferences. The data helps businesses target customers with ads based on their preferences. Here's how third party cookies are used in digital marketing and data tracking.

• Targeted Ads:

  Third-party cookies help create user profiles based on their internet activities. It allows businesses to offer customers highly targeted ads.

• Re-targeting Campaigns:

  Businesses need targeting campaigns to attract customers who previously visited their website but still need to complete a purchase. The cookies help track these customers and give them relevant ads across other websites.

• Personalizing Ads:

  Advertisers can use cookies to personalize based on user preferences.

• Affiliate Marketing:

  In affiliate marketing, cookies help track referrals from links and attribute the sales to the correct affiliate.

Why Is Google's Privacy Regulation A Needed Change?

Mozilla Firefox started limiting cookies in 2013, and Apple Safari Browser in 2017. However, Google's decision will have a more significant impact. In the global browser market, Google Chrome is the biggest, accounting for two-thirds of the total. Google implements cookie restrictions to position itself as a leader in privacy-focused internet. Also, they aim to provide users with a more safe and trustworthy web environment.

User Privacy Concerns

User privacy concerns have recently increased, and third-party cookies contribute to invasive tracking practices. As a result, tech companies and regulators must address how user data is collected and used.

Impact:

• Google's restriction assures that their browsing activities are not tracked without consent.

• Advertisers will find it more challenging to track and target users across websites. Also, they will have to find new ways to get data without compromising user privacy.

Regulatory Pressure

With strict data protection regulations, businesses focus more on user privacy than ever.

Impact:

• It ensures that users have better data protection.

• Complying with regulatory requirements improves businesses' operational costs. However, it also requires overhauling data Collection management practices.

Competitive Edge

Since popular browsers like Safari and Firefox implement serious measures to block third-party cookies, they appear more secure than Google Chrome.

Impact

• Consistent privacy standards make users less likely to switch to a different browser.

• Google can also attract more users as it is a privacy-conscious browser.

Building User Trust

By eliminating third-party cookies, Google aims to build customer trust. This will help with user retention and attract more potential users.

Impact

• Users can trust Google's commitment to user privacy and stay loyal to their favorite browser.

• Advertisers must find alternative methods to build trust and engage with users.

Promoting First-Party Data

Businesses can collect data directly from users through feedback and surveys. This first-party data approach is more privacy-friendly.

Impact:

• Users can have more control over their data and trust the websites as there is less data misuse risk.

• Businesses must develop new strategies to engage users and conduct data analyses.

The Privacy Sandbox: A New Era in Web Privacy

How to remove Google restrictions? Google’s restrictions can’t be removed. Instead, Google offers an alternative - Google Privacy Sandbox. Google's privacy sandbox creates a more private and secure web environment. It can effectively replace third-party cookies for targeted advertising. Google proposes various application programming interfaces that perform similarly to cookies but with improved privacy protections.

Let's explore the components of privacy and box.

• Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC):

  It segments users into groups with similar browsing behavior. Therefore, advertisers can target these cohorts instead of individual users.

• TURTLEDOVE (Two Uncorrelated Requests, Then Locally-Executed Decision On Victory):

  It doesn't share individual user data with advertisers but allows them interest-based advertising.

• Trust Token API:

  It replaces third-party cookies with cryptographic tokens, making distinguishing between real users and bots easy.

• Conversion Measurement API:

  It empowers advertisers to monitor the performance of campaigns without tracking individual user journeys.

• Aggregated Reporting API:

  It offers combined data on ad interactions without letting them link back to individual users.

• Privacy Budget:

  A website can collect only a certain amount of data from a user, so it cannot uniquely identify individuals.

Objectives of Privacy Sandbox

• Improve User Privacy:

  it eliminates chances of user tracking by restricting the amount of personal data shared.

• Support Relevant Ads:

  It ensures advertisers can still convey products through relevant ads while respecting user privacy.

• Eliminate Ad Fraud:

  It helps to detect and prevent ad fraud and maintains the integrity of the digital advertising ecosystem.

• Provide Transparency and Control:

  Privacy Sandbox offers users visibility and control over user data, improving trust in web interactions.

Impact Of Google's Decision To Remove Third-Party Cookies

1. Impact on Digital Marketing

• Shift to First-Party Data:

  Marketers must rely more on first-party data collected from their websites. This shift means businesses must build and maintain direct customer relationships and collect user data with consent to offer personalization.

• Changes in Ad-Targeting:

  Personalization in ad targeting becomes challenging without user behavior data across websites. Therefore, marketers have to rely on ads relevant to the websites users visit rather than based on users.

• Increased Focus on Contextual Advertising:

  Ads based on webpage content will become prominent. Therefore, advertisers must develop targeting techniques to ensure that ads are relevant.

• Ad-Performance Monitoring:

  It will become difficult for marketers to measure the effectiveness of campaigns across websites. However, they can find new tools, like the privacy sandbox, to measure ad performance.

• Increase in Ad-Spending:

  Companies like Facebook, Amazon, and Google already have a large amount of first-party data. Unlike them, small advertisers must spend more on ad campaigns to compete.

2. Impact on Publishers and Website Owners

• Revenue Lost From Targeted Ads:

  Generating ad revenue becomes difficult without third-party data. Companies must find alternative methods, like sponsored content subscriptions, or increase the use of first-party data for targeted ads.

• Importance of User Consent:

  It has become more important for websites to obtain user consent to collect you say data. Also, they have to ensure compliance with privacy regulations while collecting data.

• Reliance on Subscription Models:

  Publishers must focus on subscription models due to a decline in ad revenue. By creating premium content and services, they can attract and retain subscribers.

3. Impact on Consumers

• Enhanced Privacy:

  Google's decision improves users' privacy on the internet. They will have more control over their data and better understand its use.

• Reduces Ad Fatigue:

  It will reduce the number of personalized ads following users around the web. Therefore, users will not have to be bothered by intrusive online ads.

• More Relevant Content:

  As contextual advertising emerges, users get advertisements based on the content they view. When ads are relevant to the content they access, it creates an impressive user experience.

Alternatives to Third-Party Cookies

Contextual Advertising

Traditional advertising is highly based on user behavior data, while contextual advertising focuses on the content displayed on the web pages. To be more specific, it focuses on the keywords, topics, and themes of the content rather than tracking users across different sites.

• Privacy-Friendly:

  It improves user privacy and follows data protection regulations.\n

• Relevant Ads:

  Since ads apply to the content, they improve engagement rates and user experience.

Google Privacy Sandbox

Google's privacy sandbox aims to create web standards for websites to access user information while maintaining user privacy. It creates groups of similar users, promotes ads for these cohorts, and prevents user tracking.

• Improves Privacy:

  Google Privacy Sandbox introduces maximum user privacy without tracking individual users.

• Industry Support:

  With the support of Google, Privacy Sandbox gains widespread adoption. It also ensures a smooth transition to a cookieless future.

Browser Fingerprinting

Browser Fingerprinting collects certain identifying features of a user, such as screen resolution, fonts, and plugins, on their browser. These features help them identify users from their devices without cookies.

• No Dependency On Cookies:

  It identifies users not from cookies but from the device features.\n

• Persistent Tracking:

  As it does not rely on cookies, tracking is possible even when users clear cookies.

First-Party Data

Websites can collect first-party data directly from users when they interact with the website. This includes CRM systems, user interactions, and purchase history.

• Accuracy:

  Data that websites collect from users are more accurate and relevant to them.

• Privacy Law Compliance:

  Users are aware of the data they share with the website and that they follow privacy laws.

Publisher Provided Identifiers (PPIDs)

Publisher Provided Identifiers are unique identifiers assigned to users by publishers. They help the publisher identify the user across different websites it owns.

• User Control:

  Users have more control over the data they share with the publisher.

• Target Users Across Different Sites:

  If the publisher has more than one site or app, they can identify the users along all these to give users a consistent experience.

Takeaway

Google's new feature, tracking protection, restricts third-party cookies by default. Chrome users get a notification about the change when they open the browser on their devices. This decision by Google gives users more privacy without being tracked across websites. However, Google removing third party cookies might negatively impact advertisers who depend on cookies. Still, with various alternatives, they can offer relevant ads to customers in a cookie-less world. One of the best alternatives is collecting users' first-party data to offer them a personalized customer experience. But how do you collect the correct first-party data to create memorable customer experiences? If that is your concern, then Quest Labs is the ultimate solution.

• AI-powered User Segmentation:

  Quest Labs helps you segment your users based on their interests. You can now target user segments to recommend relevant content and products to them.

• Onboarding Optimization:

  Quest Labs helps you take users to the conversion points by asking the right questions during onboarding.

• Feedback Collection:

  Collects user feedback regularly without interrupting the users to understand what they expect from you.

• Surveys:

  Collect user experience surveys to understand user experiences and optimize strategies.

• Generative Personalization:

  Personalizes the content recommendation from the user's searches and purchase history.

With privacy concerns about cookies resolved, Google maintains its dominance as the most used browser. Quest Labs helps you prepare for the cookieless world Google is creating. Are our strategies the right solution to your concerns? Book a demo and talk to us.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to allow 3rd party cookies on Google?

To allow third party cookies on Google, select the menu from the top left > click Devices > choose Chrome > open Settings > select Users & Browsers > find and choose Cookies > choose Allow 3rd party cookies and save.

2. Why is Google getting rid of 3rd party cookies?

Google is removing third-party cookies to resolve increasing privacy concerns and maintain its dominance as the widely used browser.

3. Are cookies going away in 2024?

Google will remove cookies for only one percent of Chrome users in 2024. Complete cookie deprecation will start at the beginning of 2025.