Google Delays Blocking Third-Party Cookies in Chrome Until 2023 (theverge.com) 16
Google is announcing today that it is delaying its plans to phase out third-party cookies in the Chrome browser until 2023, a year or so later than originally planned. From a report: Other browsers like Safari and Firefox have already implemented some blocking against third-party tracking cookies, but Chrome is the most-used desktop browser, and so its shift will be more consequential for the ad industry. That's why the term "cookiepocalypse" has taken hold. In the blog post announcing the delay, Google says that decision to phase out cookies over a "three month period" in mid-2023 is "subject to our engagement with the United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)." In other words, it is pinning part of the delay on its need to work more closely with regulators to come up with new technologies to replace third-party cookies for use in advertising. Few will shed tears for Google, but it has found itself in a very difficult place as the sole company that dominates multiple industries: search, ads, and browsers.
Just enough time (Score:4, Insightful)
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At least for as long as Google keeps maintaining the Chromium codebase and doesn't start putting more and more of the browser into closed-source modules like they did with Android. Sure, someone could always fork it if Google starts pulling a stunt like this, but then more and more effort has to go into making sure the open source version of the rendering engine is in parity with the closed source one which takes resources away from other efforts. Just because someone CAN fork it and maintain their own copy
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At least for as long as Google keeps maintaining the Chromium codebase
As long as {{major contributor}} keeps maintaing {{project}} codebase. Welcome to FOSS
Sure, someone could always fork it if Google starts pulling a stunt like this, but then more and more effort has to go into making sure the open source version of the rendering engine is in parity with the closed source one which takes resources away from other efforts. Just because someone CAN fork it and maintain their own copy of the code doesn't mean there's always someone who has the time, skill, resources, and motivation to make a long-term go of it.
Yeah, which is exactly why Microsoft stopped using edgeHTML and Chakra for Edge. It was taking up too many resources to be worthwhile.
For FOSS, or really any software, you either put in the work yourself to maintain it, or you depend on someone else. I don't see how there is a 3rd option.
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Refuse to use Chrome.
Use FireFox or any other open source web browser instead.
Re:Just enough time (Score:5, Insightful)
Well, part of it is Firefox's fault for trying to copy Chrome so much users just move over to the real thing rather than a pale imitation. And then alienating the user base with needless UI changes and refusing to acknowledge or fix issues power users have, alienating the key user base Firefox had for pushing Firefox.
Apple is fine - they've been dealing with cheap Android phones for over a decade now. They have enough fans that short of some regulatory issues they'll be able to hang around.
That's not going to work with Chrome open source (Score:2)
Given how much free content on the internet is advertiser supported though and how hard it is to get folk to pay for such things I'm not sure I'm opposed to what google's doing. Trading a bit of my privacy for mountains of free software seems Ok. There are much, much more effective ways to oppress me than knowing my favorite kind of snack cake or where I went on vacation last year. We should be worried about those, and we're very much not.
An
No, the cat does not "got my tongue." (Score:2)
Your country, dear reader, has hard-working regulators, making honest effort for The People.
It's all the other countries that have corrupt regulators* working on their own behalf, and behalf of the politicians who appoint them, that are the problem.
* Seriously. In literally half the world you go into govern
Sounds like they need to work with their customers (Score:3)
I get the feeling Google is getting push back from their customers (Ad creators). Where I expect they will need to work with them a little more to get them back on track to understand, if people cannot trust your Ads to be safe on peoples Devices and could harm and overly track them. They will install Ad blockers, and move to browsers that will protect them better.
This problem is a big reason why in the early 2000's Firefox then Chrome became more popular and soon took over the dominance of IE. IE didn't have Popup blocking, and also a set of security features that allowed major security issues. Where Ads quickly grown to be a disruptive experience. While we think it is bad today, it isn't nearly as bad as it was 15 years ago, where a click on the wrong website, would open up 20 windows, that you will have to reboot your PC to get rid of, because they were coded that an other ad will pop up after you hit the close button.
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Ah, yes, the "good ol' days" that someone somewhere always pines about. Once upon a time, back in the Wild West of the Web, the cable guy came to call. All went well until he needed to boot up the comp and config the new stuff. It so happened that my teenage boys had been logged in before school--usually not an issue, but in this case hilarity ensued.
He brings up the browser and Lo! a naughty page appears. He attempts to leave said page and a popup appears. As the tech was in need of neither mammaries nor a
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There was a Dutch company that tried displaying ads related to the page content rather than spying on users to try to target them.
They found revenue actually increased.
Who Cares (Score:3, Interesting)
Only Chrome cannot block third-party cookies. Every other Web Browser has been able to do so since 1995.
The class of idiots that use Chrome obviously do not care about cookies or security -- that is precisely why they use Chrome.
Seems firmiliar. (Score:2)
"I am altering the deal. Pray I do not alter it any further."
Yeah... this feature may just get "lost" or "forget" by 2023.
Translation: (Score:2)
"We haven't been able to get enough people onboard with our Federated Learning of Cohorts plan, so we're still dependent on using third-party cookies to make money"