Today Google announced that support for third-party cookies would be extended until late 2023, giving marketers more than a year extension from the previous plan to block third-party cookies by 2022. The Privacy Sandbox initiatives will be delayed while more testing takes place.
The Goal of the Privacy Sandbox
Google’s privacy sandbox initiatives are meant to help protect people’s privacy, while still giving publishers and advertisers the ability to monetize data, which in turn keeps the web open and accessible. The goal is to create a solution that circumvents and discourages more alternative tracking solutions such as fingerprinting.
The New Rollout Schedule
Google released a new rollout schedule for Privacy Sandbox initiatives, noting that they need to ensure that they allow appropriate time for testing.
Before the rollout, each proposal must go through a rigorous testing process, not unlike other APIs and web technologies. That testing process follows three steps:
- Discussion:The proposals are discussed in open forums, such as GitHub and W3C groups. Throughout the process, Google has invited folks to join in the discussion on FLoC.
- Testing:Origin trials follow the discussion. The purpose of these trials is to allow for feedback. Google noted that the origin trial for FLoC receive da significant amount of feedback. After the origin trial, feedback is incorporated and adjustments are made accordingly, then they proceed to additional ecosystem testing.
- Ready for adoption:After the testing process is complete, the technologies will be launched in Chrome but Google notes that it takes time to do the testing responsibly, which is why the rollout has been delayed.
Once testing is complete and the rollout is ready to proceed, Google plans to follow a two-stage rollout process:
- Stage 1: Stage one will begin in late 2022 once testing is complete and APIs are launched in Chrome. At this time, publishers and advertisers will have time to migrate. Google plans to give 9 months for adoption and will monitor adoption and feedback during this time before proceeding.
- Stage 2: Stage two will begin in mid-2023. At this point,Chrome will phase out support for third-party cookies over a three month period with the plan to fully remove support by the end of 2023.
Google has noted that they will provide a more detailed schedule on privacysandbox.com, where it will be updated regularly to provide greater clarity and ensure that developers and publishers can plan their testing and migration schedules.
