Google Will Not Remove Third-Party Cookies From Chrome

After almost four years of tinkering, Google said it will not phase out third-party cookies from its Chrome browser. Instead, the company will provide users with options on how they want to be tracked on the web.

Back in 2020, Google urged browser makers, publishers, developers, and advertisers to move away from using third-party cookies and adopt mechanisms that would provide users with a more private and secure web. Despite opposition from online advertisers, Google set April 2025 as the deadline for removing third-party cookies from Chrome.

However, following discussions with stakeholders -- a list which includes regulators, publishers, developer, and other entities -- Google said it now realizes building ad mechanisms which also preserve privacy has implications for online advertisers.

"In light of this, we are proposing an updated approach that elevates user choice," wrote Chavez. "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."

One of the mechanisms Google has been working on for the past few years is Privacy Sandbox, a suite of APIs for online ad delivery and analytics with privacy protections built-in. Chrome users will have the choice of keeping third-party cookies or using Privacy Sandbox.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation noted that while major browsers, like Safari and Firefox, block third-party cookies by default, Chrome still does not. And while Privacy Sandbox may be less invasive, it is problematic because it shifts control of online tracking from third-party trackers to Google, according to EFF's Lena Cohen. "That doesn't mean it's good for your privacy," Cohen wrote. EFF suggests downloading its Privacy Badger browser extension to opt out of Privacy Sandbox and the broader online tracking ecosystem.