In this interview for SafetyDetectives, I invited Dominika Gruszkiewicz, Head of Marketing at Piwik PRO, to get her perspectives on Google’s recent decision to retain third-party cookies.
We discussed the possible reasons why Google has opted to keep third-party cookies after years of delays, the immediate implications of this decision for advertisers, and how companies can prepare for a more privacy-conscious future.
Google has just decided to retain third-party cookies after postponing their deprecation for two years. What are the immediate implications?
In July 2024, Google decided to retain third-party cookies. This decision had already been postponed three times since the initial announcement in 2020. Nevertheless, there is no return to the previous status quo and businesses are already adapting to a cookieless future.
Most major browsers, except Chrome and Opera, have already restricted or blocked third-party cookies. This is due to security and privacy risks that have the potential to compromise users’ trust. Secondly, third-party data is not unique, which means that your competitors are free to purchase the same datasets from brokers.
Advertisers cannot rely solely on third-party cookies to reach their desired audience. They must continue developing strategies that don’t rely on third-party cookies to ensure comprehensive reach across platforms.
What can marketers do to adapt in response to this news and keep the balance between the need for data and user privacy concerns?
Marketers should prioritize exploring alternative solutions, even though they can still use third-party cookies. The main reasons to do that are: browser restrictions, increasing global privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA, the need to ensure customer trust, and lack of accuracy when using third-party cookies.
It is important to focus on tactics like gathering data directly from users and first-party cookies, using contextual targeting, and even exploring options like Google’s Privacy Sandbox tools. Based on these and additional tools like Customer Data Platforms, companies can still drive powerful campaigns focused on personalized email marketing, on-site customization, or targeted promotions and discounts.
However, alternatives to third-party cookies such as Privacy Sandbox, Unified ID 2.0, or Identity Resolution claim to enhance privacy, but oftentimes they don’t. In fact, they still enable cross-site tracking, create persistent user identifiers, and potentially centralize user data. This means that personalized advertising might still raise privacy concerns, and frankly, they are not the alternatives we hoped for.
How can companies future-proof their data collection in light of this decision? What should they keep in mind for potential changes in cookie policies?
First-party data collected in a privacy-compliant way should become the cornerstone of all marketing and advertising strategies. But companies have to follow some rules:
- Less is more – meaning that companies should collect only the data they need. This will allow you to stay more focused and reduce potential privacy issues.
- Data activation – collecting data for the sake of having it is pointless. Use the data to optimize user experience and content and to create audiences for other marketing tools.
- Invest in more privacy-focused advertising – contextual advertising is evolving into the most efficient and, at the same time, the most privacy-friendly alternative to traditional targeting.
- Treat privacy as an advantage, not a hurdle – customers will appreciate that, and when enough trust is built, they’ll share more data with you.
Do you think Google will eventually move away from third-party cookies, or what long-term implications do you foresee?
It is unlikely that Google will withdraw third-party cookies for one important reason, which is the impact of such a decision on smaller competitors. Entities such as the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are already examining the Privacy Sandbox, designed as an alternative to third-party cookies, for potential anticompetitive consequences. There are concerns that Google’s latest system could hinder competition by creating obstacles for other businesses to function efficiently in the advertising industry. This is true for quite a lot of reasons.
Since Google owns the most popular web browser and has a large ad tech ecosystem, the impact of removing third-party cookies on its own ad network will be minimal. Yet, this might have consequences for other ad-serving companies that exclusively use cookie data. While Google has worked with other major ad tech companies to create the Privacy Sandbox, smaller entities may find it difficult and expensive to adapt to these new standards.
Google’s Privacy Sandbox is also introducing options like FLoCS and Topics to replace third-party cookies, but these alternatives have received criticism for being less effective and not meeting privacy standards, leading to a cold reception from the industry.
By sticking with third-party cookies, Google can protect itself from accusations of anticompetitive behavior, allowing other companies to continue operating.
Do you have any final thoughts on Google’s decision to retain third-party cookies and its broader implications?
Whether or not Google decides to keep third-party cookies, we’ll have to shift towards a more privacy-focused digital environment. According to All About Cookies, close to 40% of individuals have a habit of automatically clicking the “Accept” button when asked about cookies, while approximately 18% consistently decline them. With the rise in privacy awareness, more users are likely to reject cookies, especially given the stricter regulations and clearer opt-out choices. *
Google’s plan to integrate the consent mechanism into browsers is a bold move. That said, they made sure that their data collection and advertising business won’t be greatly affected by this decision. We can assume that they can maintain opt-ins at over 70% because of how the mechanism will be designed.
We also need to remember that there’s no simple relation between the amount of data an organization collects and the efficiency of its activities. Companies frequently amass large amounts of information that end up going unused. An organization can successfully work with restricted data with proper planning and focus only on the metrics that contribute to growth.
💡 Analytics platforms such as Piwik PRO Analytics Suite can remove the burden of implementing data protection measures, enabling companies to activate and analyze their data in real-time.
How can we follow you?
Website: https://piwik.pro/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/piwik-pro/mycompany/
Dominika Gruszkiewicz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominikagruszkiewicz/
X: https://x.com/PiwikPro
* Data sources:
https://allaboutcookies.org/internet-cookies-survey