{"id":14993,"date":"2025-10-21T13:52:19","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T13:52:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newestek.com\/?p=14993"},"modified":"2025-10-21T13:52:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T13:52:19","slug":"google-kills-its-cookie-killer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newestek.com\/?p=14993","title":{"rendered":"Google kills its cookie killer"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Privacy Sandbox, Google\u2019s attempt to create an alternative to cookies, looks like it has reached the end of the line. The company has announced that it is discontinuing 11 Privacy Sandbox technologies \u2014 pretty much the entire gamut. Privacy Sandbox VP Anthony Chavez said in blog post that the team had reached the decision \u201cafter evaluating ecosystem feedback about their expected value and in light of their low levels of adoption.\u201d<\/p>\n

Google launched the Privacy Sandbox initiative in August 2019 as a way for advertisers to gain information on users without the need to support third-party cookies. It met much criticism from the industry. Google\u2019s dreams of a cookie-free future took a blow after the UK\u2019s Competition and Market Authority announced that it was instigating an anti-trust investigation as to whether Google was abusing its dominant position in the browser market. It was an initiative that was followed up by a number of US states, each of whom is pursuing its own anti-trust case.<\/p>\n

This legal pressure eventually told. In July of last year, Google backtracked on its insistence that Privacy Sandbox would be the dominant privacy technology on Chrome. The CMA gave a guarded response to this and said that it was still seeking further commitments from Google. In April, the company made more concessions<\/a> and now, this latest move\u00a0 seems to have satisfied all anti-trust concerns.<\/p>\n

However, the lack of take-up of Privacy Sandbox would probably have had more of part in its discontinuation.<\/p>\n

Poor adoption<\/h2>\n

According to Javvad Malik<\/a>, lead CISO advisor at software company KnowBe4, \u201cLow uptake is a useful signal. It suggests the Sandbox bundle didn\u2019t deliver enough measurable value versus operational complexity and risk. When incentives, tooling, and accountability aren\u2019t aligned, even \u2018privacy\u2011preserving\u2019 tech struggles to gain adoption.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said that while he could see why Google would want an alternative to cookies, there was a technical requirement too.\u00a0 \u201cAs for the cookie alternative, something being technically viable isn\u2019t the same as adaptable. Tools need to be built with the users in mind. If there is too much friction with inconsistent APIs and uncertain ROI, many teams will struggle to adopt.<\/p>\n

The technologies Google is discontinuing are: Attribution Reporting API for both Chrome and Android, \u00a0IP Protection, Protected Audience API for Chrome and Android, Protected App Signals, On Device Personalization, Related Website Sets, Private Aggregation (including Shared Storage),\u00a0 Select URL, SDK Runtime and Topics for both Chrome and Android.<\/p>\n

It is unlikely that the Privacy Sandbox decision will have a marked effect on Google\u2019s dominance of the browser market. Chrome had a 72-percent share<\/a> of the browser market in September, according to Statcounter. However, it looks likely that Google\u2019s attempts to incorporate Privacy Sandbox technologies in future web standards will be discontinued. As Malik said \u201cStandardisation is possible, but only where there\u2019s multi\u2011stakeholder legitimacy. Without broad buy\u2011in from browsers, regulators, and publishers, \u201cweb standards\u201d risk looking like vendor standards.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is not clear is what will happen to those companies that have been implementing Privacy Sandbox technologies within their own organizations.<\/p>\n

A Google spokesman said, \u201cWe will be continuing our work to improve privacy across Chrome, Android and the web, but moving away from the Privacy Sandbox branding. We\u2019re grateful to everyone who contributed to this initiative, and will continue to collaborate with the industry to develop and advance platform technologies that help support a healthy and thriving web.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Privacy Sandbox, Google\u2019s attempt to create an alternative to cookies, looks like it has reached the end of the line. The company has announced that it is discontinuing 11 Privacy Sandbox technologies \u2014 pretty much the entire gamut. Privacy Sandbox VP Anthony Chavez said in blog post that the team had reached the decision \u201cafter evaluating ecosystem feedback about their expected value and in light… <\/p>\n

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