Have you ever felt like the internet was reading your mind, showing you ads based on something you recently talked or thought about? That’s the silent work of third-party cookies.
They quietly track and remember everything you do online across several apps and websites. Then, they share that data with advertisers, who use that information to decide what ads to show you.
This has created a privacy problem that has led to the phasing out of third-party cookies. Let’s explore why they are disappearing, what’s replacing them, and how this change affects you and advertisers.
Why Were Cookies Important?
Each time you visit a website, and it prompts you to accept cookies, it is essentially asking for permission to collect data that helps it remember you. Now,there are different types of cookieswith slightly different functions, but they generally help to create a personal and efficient browsing experience for you.
Cookies were (and, at times, still are) important for several reasons.
1. Managing Sessions
So, think about all the times you have visited your favorite online store and filled your cart with some items. But maybe you got interrupted and closed your browser. Thanks tosession cookies, whenever you return to the store later, you don’t have to log in again, and all the items are still in the cart, waiting for you to proceed to checkout.
2. Analyzing User Behavior
Cookies can gather invaluable insights into your online behavior by tracking how you navigate websites. This data, whether the time you spend on a page or the sections you click on the most, helps website owners refine their content, improve site navigation, and optimize the overall user experience.
3. Targeting Ads
Why Are Third-Party Cookies Being Phased Out?
Third-party cookies form part of the biggest drivers of a billion-dollar industry—online advertising. Major companies rely heavily on your user data to better understand you and show you things you’re more likely to buy. Third-party cookies help build comprehensive user profiles. They do this efficiently by silently tracking your activities online, often without your knowledge and permission.
However, how these cookies collect your data can often feel like an invasion of privacy, especially since they are often non-consensual. Yet the reality thatseveral major companies know so much about your online habitsand can exploit them for profit is unnerving.
The government has responded to these concerns by introducing legislation that sets compliance standards to ensure your online data privacy. For the European Union, there’s theGeneral Data Protection Regulation; for the United States, there’s theCalifornia Privacy Act.
Major browser companies, Firefox and Safari, have also taken the initiative to block third-party cookies by default. Google, however, has announced a delay in phasing out these cookies but is actively proposing alternatives that support privacy on the web and provide publishers with sustainable business models.
What Will Replace Third-Party Cookies?
As the industry-wide shift from third-party cookies begins, the world is moving into a future of advertising without cookies. Publishers and advertisers now have to employ tools and techniques that encourage data transparency and privacy.
1. Emphasizing Contextual Ads
A renaissance of a classic but harmless strategy of displaying ads based on the webpage’s content. As advertisers match ads to relevant content, they can optimize the chances of engagement and ensure their promotions reach the relevant audience.
This way, you’ll most likely see an ad for a juice blender while reading a webpage section about the health benefits of drinking smoothies. This method doesn’t rely on collecting or tracking your browsing data. It’s more respectful of your privacy.
2. Focusing on First-Party Data
It would be creepy to walk into a coffee shop for the first time and have the barista offer you a cup of coffee just as you like without you even placing an order. That’s what it feels like visiting a website for the first time that might have already scooped out info about you using third-party cookies.
As the online world starts to do away with third-party cookies, cross-site audience targeting will decline, and businesses will have to ask you for your information directly. When you create an account, give feedback, or set preferences on a website, you’ll choose to provide first-party data. That could include details such as your name, email address, and purchase history.
Since your data is being collected transparently and directly, you’re more likely to trust or engage with marketing campaigns from websites and online businesses where you directly supply your details. This helps create a more personalized and relevant user experience without compromising individual privacy.
3. Using Predictive Analysis
Think abouthow Netflix suggests moviesand shows based on your viewing history. The algorithm considers various factors to curate personalized recommendations, such as the genres you watch, the actors you prefer, and even the times you usually stream. Amazon also employs a similar predictive analysis model with its “Customers who bought this item also bought…” feature.
Many other websites and online businesses will consider adopting proprietary algorithms that help them predict what you may like to see or buy next based on what you have previously viewed, saved, or searched within that particular website.
While third-party cookies produce a profile using past behavior, predictive analysis is dynamic. It constantly refines its predictions based on new data. So, if you’re a historical fiction enthusiast exploring a new genre, predictive algorithms adjust their recommendations accordingly.
How Will Browsing Change Without Third-Party Cookies?
As privacy and data transparency become more important in the digital ecosystem, how you browse will change. As soon as third-party cookies become a thing of the past, the way big tech companies and online businesses communicate, advertise, and offer services on the web will evolve accordingly.
1. Subscription Models
So, instead of being bombarded with ads, you can pay a small fee to enjoy premium content without interruptions. This translates to a cleaner web experience for you.
However, there’s a potential downside—concerns about equal access to quality information online. Only those who can afford subscriptions may have access to high-quality, refined content.
2. User Feedback
Instead of tracking your every move silently, websites will ask for your opinions or preferences directly. You might encounter more surveys and feedback forms. This method respects your privacy and ensures that web content and services are tailored to your genuine needs and preferences.
3. Browser Features
Browsers will step up, making your privacy a priority. Features that block trackers, limit data access, or notify you about data requests will become standard.Apple’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) in Safariis a prime example. Other browsers aren’t far behind— Firefox and Microsoft’s Edge also both offer tracking prevention features that allow you to browse confidently, knowing your activity isn’t being recorded and sold by every site you visit.
4. New Technologies
Innovation doesn’t stop. While third-party cookies are fading, new technologies are emerging, and Apple’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention is just one example. As the industry explores alternative technologies, you can look forward to a more transparent web, where your data isn’t leveraged without consent.
It’s Time to Rebuild Trust
The bid to make third-party cookies obsolete is mostly about restoring trust in the internet and ensuring you stay in control of your data. And it’s not just about innovating new tech tools but a commitment towards building a safe ecosystem that puts you, the user, first.
While big tech companies and online businesses work to implement compliant techniques in their processes, you should utilize the latest privacy-conscious browsers, regularly review privacy settings, and always be mindful of the digital footprints you leave behind.
