Google has been working on removing third-party cookies from its Chrome web browser for several years, and is now running so late behind schedule that many have started to question whether its plans will ever be realized, let alone whether they will still be up-to-date.
Nevertheless, three years after the initial announcement, the company is now pushing forward with what it calls “the next stages of Privacy Sandbox,” which are set to include general availability and testing for advertisers.
With a date now set out, it looks like the ball is beginning to roll for Google Chrome’s Privacy Sandbox as more widescale testing continues.
Google Chrome Privacy Sandbox update
The APIs will begin to become available to users starting with Chrome 115 which is expected to land in late July, and over the weeks that follow.
It won’t be until the first quarter of 2024 that third-party cookies become deprecated entirely for Chrome users, though this will only affect 1%. As ever, the end goal appears to be far away for Google as it prefers instead to gradually ramp up testing.
A two-month period for phasing out third-party cookies is currently set for the third quarter of 2024, at which point the Privacy Sandbox APIs should become generally available having transitioned from their pre-launch testing stages.
Even so, the company’s developer blog explains:
“When we say ‘GA,’ we mean the APIs are available by default in Chrome, without requiring browser flags or participation in an origin trial. However, this does not mean 100% of Chrome browsers immediately have the APIs enabled - the APIs will be made available gradually, and users can always control if the APIs are active.”
Nevertheless, progress is being made toward what Google believes is a better and more secure web experience.
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