Google recently announced that they plan to block third party cookies in Chrome web browsers in the next couple of years. The idea behind this statement is that Google want to enhance privacy on the world wide web. This comes as users are demanding much greater security and privacy online, and as a result of the GDPR, consumers have much more control over how their data is gathered and used.
Over a suggested time frame of 2 years, Google plan to phase out support for third party cookies in the Chrome web browser.
To understand what this means, it is first important to understand cookies.
First Party Cookies
These types of cookies are stored by the website the user visits, they allow the owner of the website to collect analytics data and perform other functions to provide a good overall user experience. For example Website123 will have first party cookies that remember user language settings, form fills, previous purchases etc. First party cookies carry a high level of trust as the user has intentionally visited the website or domain. The website will only use data collected for their own purposes. By storing and gathering data via first party cookies, websites can tailor the user experience and make it relevant to the consumer.
Third Party Cookies
Third party cookies are those which are not generated by the website but, as you would expect, from a third party such as an advertiser or advertising platform. These cookies track user behaviour online to create a user profile. It is this profile that then tailors specific advertisements to be shown to the user. Third party cookies collect marketing relevant information such as age, gender and behaviours. Basically, anything which could help identify an ad group suitable for the user.
For the consumer, first party cookies are a help, providing a smoother journey through the purchase process, third party cookies are more powerful in terms of generating targeted advertising.
Third party cookies can help the consumer as they only see adverts that are relevant, however users can sometimes be left questioning exactly how the data is gathered and used.
Going Forward
Google Chrome will stop allowing third party cookies unless the cookies are secure and authenticated using something called SameSite. If cookies are not deemed secure then they will cease to work in Chrome. “In order to move the web ecosystem to a more healthy place, we are changing the default behaviour for when SameSite is not specified to automatically default to a more secure option rather than a less secure option,” said a Google spokesperson. Google Chrome does already allow users to block third party cookies but this enforcement should give users greater control of their privacy settings.
By blocking third party cookies, Google Chrome are regulating advertising across their platform. Audience targeting must conform to a standard, not only reassuring the user that their data is secure, but limiting hackers, fraud and data leak possibilities. Chrome engineering director Justin Schuh said that “this process is designed to encourage publishers, advertising companies and other browser providers to help Google create a new set of privacy-focused, open web standards.”
Here at eppiq Marketing we are proud to be a Google Partner, if you have any questions about ad serving or targeting, get in touch today.
