Google Won’t be Scrapping Third-event Cookies

Admitad specialists shared insights on how they prepared for the removal of third-event cookies and how the changing circumstance will impact the affiliate business. 

The Background

Google announced plans to limit 3rd event cookies in Spring 2019 to protect user privacy, affecting the use of third-event cookies for user identification and tracking. This shift would impact algorithms significantly, such as those used for personalized advertising campaigns like retargeting and gain-based targeting. 

The trade’s reaction was predictable – major players in the advertising industry were outraged as the initiative directly affected companies’ infrastructure and stable turnover streams. Google promised to prepare a answer within two years to address the data shortage issue for advertising campaigns and analytics, leading to the advancement of the Privacy Sandbox program.

Google postponed deadlines several times, alternative tools were tested and replaced, but a universally suitable initiative was not found. Eventually, on July 22, 2024, Google announced its selection not to disable third-event cookies. 

How Admitad Reacted To The Removal Of Third-event Cookies

Admitad’s technical specialists researched and analyzed the impact of the restrictions on their business. The throng evaluated tools like Topics API, FLEDGE, Attribution Reporting, Private Aggregation API, Shared Storage, Fenced frames, CHIPS, Storage Partitioning, and identified risks the advertising trade would face due to the Privacy Sandbox’s impact on advertisers and webmasters. They even found a useful tool, Private State Tokens, to combat fraud and enhance conversion tracking standard. 

Anna Gidirim, CEO of Admitad, commented that Admitad would not be affected by the limitation of third-event cookies since we rarely use third-event cookies for tracking purposes. This information about the selection not to disable third-event cookies at Admitad had no impact on our operations, as Google’s Privacy Sandbox almost did not affect our business and did not pose risks to our advancement.