Would you agree to be tracked by third-party cookies? Never mind, Google Chrome will not be asking this question anytime soon, as it ditches plans to introduce a standalone prompt.
Third-party cookies are pieces of code that advertisers leave on user devices to track them across websites. The practice is considered an invasion of privacy.
In 2019, Google launched the Privacy Sandbox initiative, which was supposed to help protect user privacy and reduce tracking by deprecating third-party cookies. Google backtracked last year, and third-party cookies are here to stay.
Now, Google Chrome is also ditching a plan to even ask users if they agree to third-party cookies.
“We’ve made the decision to maintain our current approach to offering users third-party cookie choice in Chrome, and will not be rolling out a new standalone prompt for third-party cookies,” Anthony Chavez, VP at Privacy Sandbox, said in a statement.
By default, Chrome will enable third-party cookies, but “users can continue to choose the best option for themselves in Chrome’s Privacy and Security Settings.”
The advertising industry and publishers pushed back against Google’s efforts to deprecate third-party cookies and introduce its proprietary solution for tracking, as it would give Google even more control over advertising in its browser, while, according to Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), “not truly protecting user privacy.”
Google admits that it “remains clear that there are divergent perspectives on making changes that could impact the availability of third-party cookies.”
However, the standalone prompt would be welcome, as users are unaware and rarely change the buried settings, which leave them exposed to cross-site tracking. A standalone cookie prompt would have been a dedicated banner or pop-up screen in Chrome that asks users up front to allow or block third-party cookies.
“The adoption of privacy-enhancing technologies has accelerated, new opportunities to safeguard and secure people’s browsing experiences with AI have emerged, and the regulatory landscape around the world has evolved considerably,” Chavez explained.
Google maintains a promise to introduce additional privacy protections in Chrome’s “Incognito” mode, which blocks third-party cookies by default.
It will include “IP protection,” a VPN-like feature, in Q3 2025. This feature will limit the availability of the user’s original IP address by bouncing requests via a “two-hop” proxy system.
How to block third-party cookies on Chrome?
You can block third-party cookies on Chrome with little to no effect on the website's functionality. Keep in mind that advertisers and trackers won’t be able to collect data about your personal habits across different sites to the same extent.
This may lead to less personalized and more generic advertising and a less tailored browsing experience, while considerably improving privacy.
Here’s how you can control your third-party cookies:
- Enter this address in the address bar: “chrome://settings/cookies.” You can also reach it by clicking the three-dot menu at the top right of Chrome browser, going to “Settings,” navigating to “Privacy and security,” and selecting “Third-party cookies.”
- Choose “Block third-party cookies” and unselect “Allow related sites to see your activity in the group.”
- If this setting is too strict and limits a website's functionality, you can add an exception in the list below, under “sites allowed to use third-party cookies.”
As you’re already in the Privacy Settings, consider also enabling “Safe Browsing” with Enhanced protection under the Security submenu, disabling Ad privacy features, reviewing the Privacy Guide, and other settings.
Disabling third-party cookies doesn’t mean that you’re private online. Sites can still use cookies to see your browsing activity on their own site. Even when you reject all the cookies, the sites find a “legitimate interest” in saving them to your device anyway. And there are many other fingerprinting technologies.
Privacy experts recommend using an adblocker, VPN, EFF privacy badger extension among other things to minimize the fingerprints you leave on the internet.
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