Google Is Turning Off Cookies For 30 Million People on January 4, 2024: Here Is What You Need to Know

As a part of increasing online privacy, Google is blocking third-party cookies for 1% of Chrome users, roughly 30 million people. This move will be implemented on January 4, 2024, and marks a significant step towards a more privacy-focused web and has the potential to shake up the online advertising landscape.

Google in a blog mentioned: “Third-party cookies are the main mechanism that enables cross-site tracking. Several major browsers have either already placed restrictions on third-party cookies in some way or are planning to. Third-party cookies also enable many valid use cases, such as managing state in embedded content or enabling user sessions across multiple sites.

“As part of the Privacy Sandbox project, Chrome is phasing out support for third-party cookies and proposing new functionality for cookies along with purpose-built APIs to continue supporting legitimate use cases while preserving user privacy,” it added. 

Why Is Google Phasing Out Cookies? 

There are several key reasons why Google is phasing out third-party cookies:

Privacy Concerns: Third-party cookies have become a major source of privacy concerns for users. These cookies allow companies to track users across multiple websites, helping them build detailed profiles of their browsing habits and interests. This information can then be used to target users with ads, which many people find intrusive and creepy.

Data Security: Third-party cookies can also be a security risk. Hackers can exploit vulnerabilities in these cookies to steal user data or inject malware onto devices. This can lead to identity theft, financial loss, and other problems.

Regulatory Pressure: Governments around the world are increasingly cracking down on online privacy abuses. The EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) are just two examples of laws that restrict how companies can collect and use user data. These regulations put pressure on companies like Google to develop new ways to track users that are more privacy-friendly.

Competition: Other browsers, such as Safari and Firefox, have already taken steps to restrict third-party cookie usage. Google wants to stay ahead of the curve and avoid falling behind its competitors.

New Privacy Solutions: Google is developing new privacy-focused alternatives to third-party cookies. These new solutions, such as the Privacy Sandbox initiative, will allow companies to target users with ads without collecting invasive amounts of data. Google hopes that these new solutions will be more acceptable to users and regulators.