W3C Slams Google’s Cookie Reversal: Privacy at Risk?
Earlier, Google Chrome announced that it would no longer phase out third-party cookies. This decision implies that advertising networks can continue to use traditional methods to track users across websites, allowing them to collect sensitive user information, which is detrimental to user privacy protection.
Recently, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), an industry standards organization, issued an open letter strongly condemning Google’s decision. The W3C believes that Google’s move undermines the industry’s collective efforts to eliminate third-party cookies.
“Third-party cookies are not good for the web. They enable tracking, which involves following your activity across multiple websites. They can be helpful for use cases like login and single sign-on, or putting shopping choices into a cart — but they can also be used to invisibly track your browsing activity across sites for surveillance or ad-targeting purposes. This hidden personal data collection hurts everyone’s privacy,” wrote Hadley Beeman, an architect for open standards & the Web at W3C.
“We aren’t the only ones who are worried. The updated RFC that defines cookies says that third-party cookies have “inherent privacy issues” and that therefore web “resources cannot rely upon third-party cookies being treated consistently by user agents for the foreseeable future.” We agree. Furthermore, tracking and subsequent data collection and brokerage can support micro-targeting of political messages, which can have a detrimental impact on society, as identified by Privacy International and other organizations. Regulatory authorities, such as the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office, have also called for the blocking of third-party cookies.”
Established in 1994, the W3C is the principal international standards organization for the web, responsible for developing various protocols and fostering compatibility among industry members. The fact that even the W3C has publicly criticized Google highlights the significant impact of this decision.
Given that Google Chrome commands over 60% of the market share, and Chromium-based browsers collectively hold more than 90% of the market, Google’s decision could potentially nullify years of W3C’s efforts.
As of now, Google has not responded to these controversies. However, as the world’s largest advertising company, advertising remains one of Google’s core businesses, making it challenging for Google to abandon cookie-based tracking methods.
