Google LLC has scrapped its plans to phase out Chrome’s support for third-party cookies.

The company disclosed the decision today. It detailed that some of the technologies built as part of Privacy Sandbox, the development initiative through which it planned to phase out third-party cookies, are still set to become available in Chrome. The change in course follows reports that the initiative is facing renewed scrutiny from U.K. regulators.

Third-party cookies are small files that advertisers install on users’ devices to collect data about their online activity. The collected data is used to deliver targeted ads. Unlike standard cookies, third-party cookies allow a brand to gather information about user activity from not only its own website but also online properties operated by third parties.

Google first floated the idea of ending Chrome’s support for the technology in 2020. The plan was to reduce the amount of data that brands can collect about consumers and thereby improve online privacy. Google launched its Privacy Sandbox initiative to develop a new, more privacy-friendly way for brands to collect information about consumers’ buying preferences.

The initial plan was to replace third-party cookies with an artificial intelligence built directly into Chrome. The AI can analyze users’ browsing activity to identify their area of interest. From there, the AI can make information about users’ areas of interest accessible to advertisers without revealing their browsing histories as third-party cookies do.

Anthony Chavez, vice president of Privacy Sandbox, detailed Google’s change of course in a blog post published today. “We recognize this transition requires significant work by many participants and will have an impact on publishers, advertisers, and everyone involved in online advertising,” Chavez wrote. “In light of this, we are proposing an updated approach that elevates user choice.”

Google originally planned to phase out third-party cookies in Chrome by 2022. It subsequently pushed back the deadline three times, most recently stating in April that support for the technology was set to end early next year.

Along the way, Privacy Sandbox became the focus of an investigation by the U.K.’s antitrust watchdog. The Competition and Markets Authority, or CMA, opened a probe in 2021 to determine if the technology might make it more difficult for Google’s rivals to compete with its advertising services. To end the probe, the search giant in 2022 agreed to continue the development of Privacy Sandbox under the CMA’s supervision.

In February, the watchdog stated that Privacy Sandbox still has the potential to harm Google competitors. Another U.K. regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Officer, is reportedly also scrutinizing the initiative. In a draft report leaked earlier this year, it expressed concerns that Privacy Sandbox may not always prevent advertisers from tracking users.

Google’s new plan for Chrome is to give consumers a choice in what advertising technologies they wish to enable. “Instead of deprecating third-party cookies, we would introduce a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing, and they’d be able to adjust that choice at any time,” Chavez wrote in today’s blog post. “We’re discussing this new path with regulators, and will engage with the industry as we roll this out.”

As part of the initiative, Google plans to make a Privacy Sandbox technology called IP Protection available in Chrome’s Incognito mode. The technology prevents websites from tracking users’ IP addresses. It’s expected to roll out in 2025 at the earliest.

Image: Google