Google Grants Certain Websites Permission to Postpone Third-Party Cookie Phase-Out

Google is giving websites the opportunity to request additional time to transition away from third-party cookie dependencies.

To address possible compatibility concerns, the search engine has introduced a third-party cookie deprecation trial. While Chrome plans to eliminate third-party cookies by Q3 2024, this program lets embedded sites and services temporarily enable them until December 27, 2024.

However, developers are expected to make the necessary changes by the trial end date.

Why we care. For marketers heavily dependent on targeted advertising through third-party cookies, delaying Chrome’s phase-out until the end of the year could come as a huge relief. But it’s still crucial to update your marketing strategy to be cookieless before the December deadline, as there won’t be any additional help afterward.

How it works. Eligible websites can enable third-party cookie deprecation trials by using JavaScript to provide unique access tokens in Chrome. To request a third-party token during registration, activate the “Third-party matching” option on the origin trial’s registration page. The third-party token should be provided through JavaScript by creating an origin trial tag, not in HTML code or an HTTP header.

Dig deeper: Google has started phasing out third-party cookies

Trial participants are advised to deploy deprecation trial tokens before the grace period ends on April 1, 2024.

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Eligibility. The program is specifically designed for embeds and services that use third-party cookies and meet Google’s strict eligibility criteria:

  • Advertising-related services won’t get approval.
  • If your domain is known for advertising, even subdomains, it’s likely to be rejected.
  • To be considered, you need to show direct impact on end-users; problems just affecting later data analysis won’t qualify. Submit bug reports to Google with detailed steps to reproduce the issue.
  • Google will only consider requests with confirmed breakage, and there’s an appeals process for clarification.
  • Even if your site has both ad and non-ad content, if it’s associated with advertising domains, it’s likely to be denied.

Review process. After you submit your application for the third-party cookie deprecation trial, Google will review your request. Response times will vary, however, if you have not received a response with one to two weeks, Google advises contacting them at 3pcd-deprecationtrial@google.com.

What Google is saying. A Google spokesperson said in a statement:

  • “At the moment we are only focusing on third-party embeds and services.”
  • “We recommend first-party sites continue making changes to their sites directly to fix the breakage and encourage their embedded third parties to sign up for this deprecation trial.”

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The post Google is allowing select sites to delay phase out of third-party cookies appeared first on MarTech.

Google has recently announced that it will be granting certain websites permission to postpone the phase-out of third-party cookies. This decision has been made in response to feedback from advertisers and publishers who have expressed concerns about the impact of the phase-out on their businesses.

Third-party cookies are small pieces of data that are stored on a user’s computer by a website other than the one they are currently visiting. These cookies are used by advertisers to track user behavior across different websites and to deliver targeted ads. However, they have also been criticized for infringing on user privacy.

In 2020, Google announced that it would be phasing out third-party cookies in its Chrome browser by 2022. This move was seen as a significant step towards improving user privacy, but it also raised concerns about the impact on the digital advertising industry.

In response to these concerns, Google has now announced that it will be granting certain websites permission to postpone the phase-out of third-party cookies. This will give advertisers and publishers more time to adjust to the changes and to develop alternative methods of tracking user behavior.

The decision to grant permission to postpone the phase-out has been met with mixed reactions. Some have welcomed the move as a necessary step to protect the digital advertising industry, while others have criticized it as a setback for user privacy.

Google has stated that it remains committed to improving user privacy and that it will continue to work with the industry to develop alternative methods of tracking user behavior. The company has also said that it will be providing more information about the criteria for granting permission to postpone the phase-out in the coming months.

In conclusion, Google’s decision to grant certain websites permission to postpone the phase-out of third-party cookies is a response to concerns from the digital advertising industry. While it may be seen as a setback for user privacy, it also provides more time for advertisers and publishers to adjust to the changes and to develop alternative methods of tracking user behavior.