Tech giant Google has begun testing changes to the way companies can track users online from today. The 'Tracking Protection' feature, a new feature in the company's Chrome browser, turns off internet cookies for 30 million users, disabling the mechanism used by companies for personalized ads and monitoring browsing behavior.
In December 2023 Google had announced its plans to do away with cookies. The January 4 rollout marks the initial phase, with a full cookie elimination planned by the end of 2024.
Advertisers are expected to be affected by this move as Google Chrome is the world's most popular internet browser. Cookies are vital to online companies as they help them personalise online ads, which these companies depend on.
For numerous individuals, such advertising may seem intrusive. Many have encountered a situation where visiting a website or making a purchase results in related ads appearing on all subsequent sites they visit.
Competing browsers such as Apple's Safari and Mozilla Firefox already give users the option to block third-party cookies, but they account for significantly less internet traffic in comparison.
Your Next Read: WhatsApp removes unlimited chat backups with Google Drive in latest beta
Making the Internet more 'private'
The tech giant says it will randomly choose users and give them the option to "browse with more privacy". Anthony Chavez, Google vice president, wrote in a blog post: "We're taking a responsible approach to phasing out third-party cookies in Chrome. If a site doesn't work without third-party cookies and Chrome notices you're having issues... we'll prompt you with an option to temporarily re-enable third-party cookies for that website."
However, the tech giant cannot completely shut down advertising and this new Tracking Protection feature will seek help from another new feature called Ad Topics, which will leverage a user's browsing history to assign interest 'topics' to enable relevant ads.
Since third-party cookies are being eliminated, Ad Topics will act on the basis of a user's search history for a specific period and characterise their interests locally without the use of cookies.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
