This archive report was first published on 15 January 2020.
On January 15, 2020, Google announced its plan to phase out web-tracking cookies on its popular Chrome browser, a move that has been welcomed by privacy activists.
The online giant's 'Sandbox' program will allow advertisers to deliver targeted messages while sparing users from being tracked by snippets of code called 'cookies'.
According to Chrome director of engineering Justin Schuh, the goal of the 'Privacy Sandbox' initiative is to make the web more private and secure for users, while also supporting publishers.
"We are confident that with continued iteration and feedback, privacy-preserving and open-standard mechanisms like the Privacy Sandbox can sustain a healthy, ad-supported web in a way that will render third-party cookies obsolete," Schuh said.
Google aims to achieve this within two years, but it remains unclear if eliminating third-party cookies will give the company more control over online advertising, which it dominates along with Facebook.
