As of 4th January this new year, Google has begun limiting third-party cookies by default with their new Tracking Protection option. This test to only 1% of Google Chrome users will push their initiative to “phase out third-party cookies for everyone in the second half of 2024”, and give their team a chance to see how users respond to the change.

Keep reading for more on what third-party cookies are, the pros and cons of third-party cookies, why Google is making this change, and what our Head of Digital Media has to say about the effect on marketers.

What are third-party cookies?

Third-party cookies are cross-site tracking tools that allow websites to track your online activity on other sites. Have you ever seen an ad for something pop up on the side of a page or on your Instagram feed that you were looking at earlier in the day? While we all think “someone’s listening” over at the Meta offices, it’s really the role of cookies.

Why does Google want to remove third-party cookies?

Simply, to improve privacy. Their goal is also to give users more control, allowing them to choose if and when they allow third-party cookies in order to protect their data.

What does Google’s plan to remove third-party cookies mean for marketers?

Luckily, we have no reason to panic — yet. The update is only occurring for a small portion of Google users (1%!), and there are potential roadblocks with governing bodies around market competition. So, when Google does remove third-party cookies for good, what would the impact be on marketers?

We asked our Head of Digital Media, Kylie, for her thoughts:

“This is a testing period, and so far, we’ve not felt any radical disruption to anything we do. Let’s keep in mind, this is currently only 1%. The switch off is scheduled in its entirety for later this year, and of course, with any change we need to be ready to adapt.

The digital media world has been preparing for a “cookieless future” for many years now, and we’ve certainly had them as a resource for much longer than planned. This drawn out timeline has given platforms and marketers an abundance of time to adopt cookie-free solutions and first party data strategies, which is further underpinned by the advancement of of AI technologies to help bridge any gap in performance.”

What are your thoughts on Google’s removal of cookies? Share your thoughts with us on LinkedIn!