UK approves Google's plan to eliminate cookies: competition concerns have been eliminated

According to reports, the UK's antitrust regulator Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said today that Google has made a legal commitment to the CMA to dispel relevant concerns in response to plans to eliminate third-party cookies in chrome browsers. To this end, the CMA has accepted Google's cookie elimination program.

Google announced two years ago that it would phase out Chrome's support for third-party cookies, citing higher demands on users' privacy and data control rights. Cookies are the cornerstone of digital advertising, and third-party cookies are a common tool for delivering ads accurately across platforms.

After discontinuing support for third-party cookies, Google plans to promote its "Privacy Sandbox" technology. But publishers and ad-tech companies have complained that Google's so-called "privacy sandbox" will limit their ability to collect information from web users, affecting their ability to deliver more valuable ads.

To that end, the CMA announced in January that it was launching an investigation into Google's "privacy sandbox" program. The CMA said Google's move could weaken publishers' capabilities and disrupt competition in the digital advertising market, further consolidating Google's market influence.

Last June, Google made a commitment to allow the CMA and the UK's privacy regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), to participate in its "privacy sandbox" program. Google promised to publicly disclose any test results for the effectiveness of the Privacy Sandbox program and said it would not give preferential treatment to Google's own advertising products or websites.

The CMA then said it would consult with "interested third parties" before deciding whether to accept Google's commitment. If accepted, the regulator will drop its investigation into Google and engage google on the details of its proposal.

Today, the CMA officially announced that it accepts Google's commitment to this end. "We have received legally binding commitments from Google to address these concerns," the CMA said. "According to the promise, after eliminating third-party cookies, Google will limit data sharing within its ecosystem to ensure that it does not gain an advantage over its competitors.

Andrea Coscelli, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CMA, said: "The commitment we have received from Google will foster competition, help protect the ability of online publishers to raise money through advertising, and protect user privacy." Google said: "We are very happy that the CMA has accepted our offer." ”

Source: Sina Technology