Google Chrome’s third-party cookie phaseout begins on January 4

Google recently confirmed that, as part of its upcoming “Privacy Sandbox” initiative, it will begin restricting third-party cookies in Chrome from January 4, 2024. Initially, only a random one percent of Chrome users worldwide will have “Tracking Protection” activated in their browser, meaning that by default, third-party cookies will be barred. This move seeks to limit cross-site tracking to enhance user privacy.

If all goes according to plan, Google plans to extend the rollout to all Chrome users by the second half of 2024. Notably, the transition period may pose some challenges. For instance, if a user finds a website failing to load repeatedly, Chrome will offer the option to temporarily reactivate third-party cookies.

According to a November 2023 report by StatCounter, Google’s Chrome dominated the worldwide browser market share with 62.85%, followed by Apple’s Safari at 20.04% and Microsoft’s Edge at a mere 5.5%. Given the billions of Chrome users globally, Google’s initial one-percent rollout can understandably be defined as a crucial step in its systematic approach to ending the usage of third-party cookies.

However, Google may face further obstacles from authorities like the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority and similar bodies in other countries, which aim to minimize the impact on their domestic advertising industries.