Google has once again announced it will delay the full phaseout of third-party cookies from Chrome, from later this year to potentially early next year.

Marketers have been preparing for the end of third-party cookies in Chrome with a focus on developing alternative identity strategies, which could include Google’s Privacy Sandbox. More than 60% of browser traffic still flows through Chrome.

Overall, marketers are not surprised, as it’s the third time Google has decided to postpone the full deprecation, with several saying the latest delay will not impact their transition away from cookies.

More time for improvements

Many industry leaders say the latest delay will only allow them more time to test their solutions.

“Delays give brands the advantage of more time to build up more intelligence, and in the meantime, brands will continue to leverage any available data points to provide the most personalized and relevant experience for their customers,” says Julia Sebastian, EVP of operations at The Shipyard.

What happens next

Google has said it will apply any agreement it lands on with the CMA on a global scale. Regulators around the world are watching their British counterparts for indications of what comes next.

Allegedly, anticompetitive practices are also the subject of two landmark antitrust trials Google faces in the U.S. in the next 12 months. American regulators allege the company abused its dominance in ad tech to monopolize the digital ads market and undermine competition. The U.K. regulator’s concerns and Google’s delay are the latest chapter in the ad industry’s reckoning with its reliance on the search giant.

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