Google announced that it would phase out third-party cookies inChromea long time ago. Plagued by multiple delays, it looks like the company has finally nailed down its schedule, previouslynoting that it would complete the process mid 2024. As a first step, Google shared that it’s going to begin testing “Tracking Protection,” which means that the company will turn off third-party cookies by default for a subset of global Chrome users starting July 28, 2025.
In its announcement, Google makes clear that its phaseout schedule is well underway, with the company still planning to turn off third-party cookies altogether in the second half of 2024. While it’s long possible to turn off third-party cookies manually, Google will begin turning off third-party cookies by default for 1% of its user base on January 4. This is marketed as “Tracking Protection,” with a banner appearing on both desktop and mobile if you’re randomly selected for the experiment.
Google makes clear that some sites may not function properly without third-party cookies just yet. In that case, you will be able to hit a crossed-out eye symbol to the right of the address bar to turn them back on temporarily for 90 days for the site in question (an option that has existed for a while now if you already turned off third-party cookies). Chrome will prompt you to do this if it notices that you have issues with a site, using indicators like multiple page refreshes.Google notesthat this temporary exemption also carries over into Incognito mode.
Aside from the “Tracking Protection” name, none of this is really new. Google has already started testing a world without third-party cookies with Chrome 120, launched in early December. With Chrome 121 only scheduled to arrive in stable on January 17, version 120 will still be the stable release when the broader test goes into effect in January.
What’s new in Chrome 120: The end of third-party cookies is nigh
Chrome 120 will be the first version to start deprecating third-party cookies
The “Tracking Protection” name could potentially be misleading, as it suggests that Chrome offers similar advanced privacy features like Firefox, Edge, and Safari. For example, Firefox offers an “Enhanced Tracking Protection” option that’s enabled by default. When you choose Firefox’s stricter option for this feature, the browser additionally strips out any trackers “hidden in ads, videos, and other in-page content,”as Mozilla explains on a help page. This makes it behave similar to tracking and ad blockers like Privacy Badger, something that Google would likely never implement due to its ad business model.
