Google, in what’s becoming a tradition, has reneged on its decision to phase out third-party cookies in Chrome, sparking a swift reaction from Australia’s media and advertising sector, which has been preparing for the change for some time.
The world’s biggest collector of digital advertising dollars has decided to keep offering users the choice to opt-out of these packets of code in its Chrome browser but not prompt them about this.
“This should not lead to complacency given the imminent changes to the Australian Privacy Act later this year,” said Richard Taylor, managing director at Digital Balance.
He sees Google’s move as a brief reprieve for marketers, but cautioned that coming reforms to the Australian Privacy Act could render the move moot.
“Expected to introduce mandatory cookie consent, these reforms will necessitate a shift towards more privacy-centric marketing practices regardless of Google’s long-term plans for cookies,” he said.
Taylor advised advertisers to continue to use the time to invest in first-party data strategies and consent management platforms.
Marketers have been preparing for the end of cookies since January 2020 when Google first announced plans to depreciate the system.
This kicked off investment in first-party data, as seen by media players in Australia including News Corp and Nine Entertainment.
