Google is actively developing an innovative system for Chrome that shifts away from tracking individual users and centers around Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC), a method that categorizes audience segments comprising hundreds or thousands of individuals.
This move is in response to the increased regulation of cookies, small files utilized for targeted advertising by monitoring web activity. Such regulations include the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation established in 2016 and specific regulations in California.
Distinguishing between first-party and third-party cookies, the latter being set by visited websites rather than the browser itself, has become a focal point. Despite Google’s initial announcement in January 2020 with a two-year timeline for its cookie elimination initiative, the launch has encountered several delays.
As part of the phased approach, Chrome is now restricting third-party cookies by default for one percent of users to facilitate testing. This restriction is set to expand to 100 percent of users starting from Q3 2024, according to a recent blog post from Google.
This marks the commencement of Google’s efforts to limit third-party cookies for a subset of Chrome users, representing the first phase in the gradual elimination of these files that have been a source of significant privacy concerns. Google initially announced its intent to phase out cookies entirely in 2020, but emphasized that the complete removal of third-party cookies would require approval from Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority. This regulatory body is presently evaluating the potential impact on other businesses.
