Google Pledges Not To Kill Third-Party Cookies Without The UK Competition Watchdog’s Say-So
On Friday, the UK’s competition regulator – the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) – announced that Google has agreed to address concerns about its plan to remove third-party cookies from Chrome.
The compromise comes following a joint investigation launched in early January into the Chrome Privacy Sandbox proposals by the CMA and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK’s data protection regulator.
Collaboration between competition and data protection watchdogs was a significant development because it directly acknowledges the blurring line between power brokers and data brokers in the tech sector.
Broadly, Google has committed to involving both the UK’s CMA and the ICO as it works towards killing cookies in its browser. The CMA will now launch a review as to whether to accept Google’s proposed commitments, which would be legally binding and apply globally. Companies have until July 8 to submit their comments.
Specifically, Google has pledged not to discriminate against its rivals in favor of its own advertising and ad tech businesses when designing or operating alternatives to third-party cookies.
