The end of cookies is delayed until 2024

The end of cookies is delayed until 2024

Although it is true that Google expressed its intention to remove third-party cookies from the Chrome browser, indicating that said process would conclude in the following two years, in June 2021 it recognized that the end of cookies will not be immediate.

According to the latest Google update, it is expected that they will not disappear until 2024.

What are cookies? 

Cookies are small files that are downloaded onto a user’s computer or terminal when they browse a web page that allow the user’s browsing preferences to be stored.

They are small files that are used to collect information every time a user browses a web page and to be able to offer more personalised advertising.

These files collect user information such as the IP address from which the user accesses the website, the username and password used to log in to a website.

Their purpose is to recognise the user when they return to the website, so that if any element of the configuration has been changed or the user has personalised a certain online service, these changes are activated.

It should be noted that cookies are not a computer virus, nor do they steal information. However, it should be borne in mind that when a cyber-attack occurs, the information that cookies have collected and stored in them can be exposed, so the danger really lies in the tracking of browsing history that can be carried out thanks to the information they collect.

Google postpones the end of cookies for a second time

While it is true that Google expressed its intention to remove third-party cookies from the Chrome browser, indicating that this process would be completed within the next two years, in June 2021 it acknowledged that the end of cookies will not be immediate.

According to Google’s latest update, they are not expected to disappear for good until 2024.

The company has stated its intention to gradually eliminate them from the second half of 2024, as pointed out by its vice president, Anthony Chavez, in a statement published on its blog.

The reason for this decision is based on privacy, which is in the sights of the marches, users and digital media, since users demand greater privacy on the Internet and, therefore, the big technology companies are trying to adapt to a cookie-free environment.

The transition to a cookie-free world is already happening

According to Google, the reality is that not enough companies have started the transition to an alternative cookie-free environment.

As Travis Clinger explains “Starting this process is important regardless of the end of third-party cookies on the horizon, as more than 45% of the Internet no longer uses cookies and it is the only way to ensure that marketing and advertising campaigns reach their intended target. Now more than ever, with the current economic uncertainty, it is important to make every penny invested in advertising and marketing work for you”.

From these statements, it is understood that the company believes that not enough companies have yet embraced a transition to a cookie-free world, and so the demise of cookies is once again delayed.

Privacy Sandbox and alternatives to the use of cookies. 

Although cookies are the preferred method for tracking a user’s browsing on a website, there are other lesser-known options.

Privacy Sandbox is a Google initiative, launched in 2019, which aims to offer alternatives to third-party cookies. Its aim is to develop a set of new technologies, configuring new web standards.

In short, this proposal consists of new technologies that make it possible to replace today’s data-intensive mechanisms, such as third-party cookies, with more secure solutions that protect users’ privacy.

In addition to the initiative launched by Google, there are other methods such as HTTP authentication, which consists of basic access authentication, whereby when a user accesses a web page, the web server asks the user to identify him or herself and this identification is done with a unique code that is generated automatically or through a specific username and password. 

Another alternative is the query string or URL parameter. This system consists of adding a series of characters to the link of a web page, allowing the web server to generate a personalised link for each user who visits a web page, so its operation is very similar to that of cookies, although it is true that this personalised link has some defects, since the same link can be reused by several users.