Google is testing Tracking Protection for Chrome as a feature that limits cross-site tracking. This new feature is part of Google’s Privacy Sandbox initiative to responsibly phase out third-party cookies, which involves creating new tools for sites that serve essential functions and granting developers time to adapt.
The introduction of Tracking Protection begins with a small subset of Chrome users, allowing developers to assess their preparedness for a web environment without third-party cookies.
This feature will undergo testing with 1% of Chrome users globally, representing a significant step in the Privacy Sandbox initiative. The ultimate goal is to phase out third-party cookies for all users by the second half of 2024, pending the resolution of any competition concerns from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority.
“As we work to make the web more private, we’ll provide businesses with tools to succeed online so that high quality content remains freely accessible — whether that’s news articles, videos, educational information, community sites or other forms of web content,” Anthony Chavez, the vice president of Privacy Sandbox at Google wrote in a blog post. “With Tracking Protection, Privacy Sandbox, and all of the features we launch in Chrome, we’ll continue to work to create a more private web than ever, and universally accessible to everyone.”
Google has been releasing a stream of Privacy Sandbox updates. In August, Project Flight was introduced as an initiative that encompasses a series of sample applications that collectively demonstrate the practical application of Privacy Sandbox APIs within real-life user journeys.
