In the search for ways to adopt a more appropriate stance regarding privacy and data protection, Google has been working on a new tool for Chrome, the Privacy Sandbox.
The new tool under development, which promises to block third-party cookies, had its concept first introduced in 2019. In 2020 it was announced that it would be available by 2022. However, now, again, its launch has been delayed and the promise is that it will be available for use by 2024.
Anthony Chavez, Google's Vice President of Privacy Sandbox, wrote in a post: “We worked closely to refine our design proposals based on input from developers, publishers, marketers, and regulators through forums.”, "The most consistent feedback we've received is the need for more time to evaluate and test new technologies before discontinuing third-party cookies in Chrome."
The Privacy Sandbox aims to create web standards to boost online advertising without using tracking cookies, which until now were widely used to target ads by collecting a person's search history.
Initially, Privacy Sandbox proposed using the FLoC (Federated Learning of Cohorts) algorithm to analyze user activity, generating an ID to preserve privacy, which could then be used for advertising purposes.
At the time, Google claimed that FLoC was more anonymous than cookies, but the Electronic Frontier Foundation described FLoC technology as "the opposite of privacy-preserving technology" and similar to "behavioral credit scoring."
Ultimately, the company announced that it would abandon FLoC and use another technology.
The expectation is that testing will begin this month.
According to Google's plan, the global expansion to more users will begin in September and continue into early 2023. Users added to the test will be notified via a message that will give them the option to opt out if they wish. Until then, the tests and feedback will be used for improvements leading up to the official launch.
The expectation is that by the second half of 2024, Google will gradually eliminate all third-party cookies, starting with Chrome.
Furthermore, Google expects to release the Privacy Sandbox APIs to developers by the third quarter of 2023 to allow time for adaptations to be made in Chrome; however, earlier this year a preview of the Privacy Sandbox for Android had already been introduced, showing that things are moving forward.
Google even provides a timeline so that those interested can follow the project's progress.
“Improving people’s privacy while giving businesses the tools they need to succeed online is vital for the future of the open web.”, "As the web community tests these APIs, we will continue to listen to and respond to feedback.""That's all," Chavez concludes.
