Google’s plan to block third-party cookies sparks debate

Google just announced a big change coming to Chrome next year. It is about something called third-party cookies – these are little pieces of data from different websites that help show personalized ads and track what you do online. Google’s plan, called ‘Tracking Protection,’ has been in the works for a while.

However, this change won’t happen all at once. Google plans to implement it in scheduled phases. Starting January 4, 2024, about one percent of global Chrome users will see third-party cookies turned off by default as part of a test phase. While this move is geared towards enhancing user privacy, Google acknowledges that some websites may not work properly without third-party cookies initially.

For users facing issues, there is a temporary solution. If a website does not load or experiences problems, users can switch third-party cookies back on for that specific site for 90 days. It is a bit like giving users a tool to fix issues while still testing out the changes.

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Third-party cookies are not all bad – they help browsers remember products users were interested in and contribute to effective marketing. But some people who care about privacy are worried about these cookies. They create personal profiles with your data.

Some people like that Google is trying to make things more private online, but others are not so sure, especially because of things Google did before. People are talking about it, and some don’t trust Google’s reasons. They say, “Do you really think this is true? Knowing Google, there’s probably something shady going on.” Another person worries that only Google will be doing the tracking.