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Google has initiated testing changes to user tracking online with the introduction of the 'Tracking Protection' feature in its Chrome browser. This feature disables internet cookies for 30 million users, impacting the mechanism used by companies for personalized ads and monitoring browsing behavior. Google had previously announced plans to eliminate cookies, with the rollout of this initial phase on January 4, 2024, and full cookie elimination expected by the end of the year.
The move is anticipated to affect advertisers significantly, as Google Chrome is the world's most popular internet browser. Cookies play a vital role for online companies in personalizing ads, which form a crucial aspect of their business models. While personalized advertising may be viewed as intrusive by some users, it is a key revenue source for many online platforms.
Competing browsers like Apple's Safari and Mozilla Firefox already provide users with the option to block third-party cookies, but they have a smaller share of internet traffic compared to Google Chrome.
Google's approach involves randomly selecting users and providing them with the option to "browse with more privacy." The company acknowledges that completely shutting down advertising is not feasible. The Tracking Protection feature will be complemented by another feature called Ad Topics, which will use a user's browsing history to assign interest 'topics,' facilitating relevant ads. As third-party cookies are phased out, Ad Topics will rely on a user's search history for a specific period to categorize their interests locally without using cookies. This shift indicates a broader industry trend toward increased user privacy and more responsible data practices.
