Google has abandoned its earlier plan to introduce standalone prompts in Chrome for managing third-party ad tracking due to industry feedback and regulatory discussions. This change, announced on April 22, is part of several updates to Chrome's Privacy Sandbox initiative.
Third-party cookie settings will be merged with other web browsing choices.
In July 2024, Anthony Chavez, Vice President of Privacy Sandbox, stated that the goal of this feature was "to find innovative solutions that significantly enhance online privacy while preserving an ad-supported internet that sustains a vibrant publisher ecosystem, connects businesses with customers, and provides free access to diverse content for everyone." Under this plan, users would make "informed choices" regarding third-party cookies, which are technologies used for tracking third-party ads.
"We will not deprecate third-party cookies but instead introduce a new experience in Chrome that allows people to make informed choices applicable to their web browsing, which they can adjust anytime," Chavez said. "We are discussing this new path with regulators and will engage with the industry upon launch."
However, in April 2025, Chrome confirmed there would no longer be standalone prompts asking users to accept or reject third-party ad tracking. Chrome made this decision after considering opinions from "publishers, developers, regulators, and the advertising industry." Chavez wrote about it in April.
"We have decided to maintain the current method of offering third-party cookie choices to users in Chrome and will not roll out a new standalone prompt," he said. "Users can continue to choose the best option for themselves in Chrome’s privacy and security settings."
In these settings, users can manually block or enable third-party cookies or specify individual websites where third-party cookies will be allowed.
Chavez noted that this shift might affect developers using Privacy Sandbox APIs and mentioned that Chrome would share an updated roadmap in the "coming months."
This change resulted from feedback across the industry, but Privacy Sandbox has been a mixed bag from the start. As DigiDay pointed out, ad tech companies and publishers described Privacy Sandbox as difficult to collaborate with.
While Privacy Sandbox offers a middle ground between privacy and ad technology, it does not reach the stricter cookie-blocking measures implemented by Safari and Firefox. Google is currently embroiled in an antitrust lawsuit involving questions about whether Google monopolizes the open web digital advertising market.
In a notable episode during Tuesday’s antitrust trial, a representative from OpenAI expressed interest in purchasing Chrome if the court forces Google to divest its browser, although such a scenario remains speculative.
Google maintains its stance on incognito mode cookie blocking and IP protection.
The Privacy Sandbox team is still refining tracking protection in Chrome’s incognito mode, which blocks third-party cookies as part of its overall settings. They are also sticking to the timeline for IP protection, which partially masks users’ IP addresses in incognito mode and is scheduled for release in Q3 2025.
