Google Chrome's Phase Out of Third-Party Cookies: Implications for Marketers

Data privacy concerns are top of mind for marketers this year—and this week the landscape became even more complex. Google Chrome has announced that it plans to phase out support for third-party cookies within two years to promote consumers’ privacy while browsing the internet. But the move, largely expected by the ad tech community, stands to alter the world of online marketing by challenging the digital attribution techniques that are currently used by advertisers to measure—and target—internet users.

So, what does this mean for the digital marketing community? The downside, according to an AdExchanger column by Ari Paparo, CEO at Beeswax, is that different types of online tracking, such as view-through attribution, will no longer be possible, content management systems may need upgrades and reporting systems will change. However, Google has created an initiative, called the Privacy Sandbox, to develop new tracking standards that will replace third-party cookies for online advertisers—thus not leaving them without techniques for measurement.

There is potentially a light at the end of the tunnel: It’s possible that the new, cookie-less techniques Google is developing for ad tracking could become standards that are instituted across multiple browsers—and even apps. Only time (about two years’ worth) will tell.

Read on for a deep dive into the implications of Google Chrome’s decision and what changes online marketers can expect.