Google says it will miss target for ending third-party cookies

Google said Tuesday that it will no longer be able to complete its phaseout of third-party cookies by the end of 2024. 

“We recognize that there are ongoing challenges related to reconciling divergent feedback from the industry, regulators and developers, and will continue to engage closely with the entire ecosystem,” the company said in a blog post.  

This is the latest in a series of delays to Google’s efforts to eliminate third-party cookies, which track users across the internet to sell targeted ads. 

The announcement comes just days before the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which is overseeing the tech giant’s cookie phaseout, is expected to release a status report, The Wall Street Journal reported.  

The U.K.’s privacy regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), has reportedly told Google — and plans to tell the CMA — that its proposed replacement for cookies doesn’t do enough to protect consumer privacy, according to the Journal. 

“It’s also critical that the CMA has sufficient time to review all evidence including results from industry tests, which the CMA has asked market participants to provide by the end of June,” Google added Tuesday.  

“Given both of these significant considerations, we will not complete third-party cookie deprecation during the second half of Q4,” it continued. “We remain committed to engaging closely with the CMA and ICO and we hope to conclude that process this year.”  

The tech giant said it now hopes to move forward with eliminating third-party cookies “starting early next year.”