What is Google Doing with Cookies in 2022?
As a marketer or business, you might think that the App Tracking Transparency update in iOS 14 came out of the blue. However, this isn’t the case. Consumers have demanded more control over privacy for years, and the Apple update is a culmination of all this pressure and all the demands.
If you haven’t seen it, the iOS 14 update includes a feature called App Tracking Transparency. Essentially, all apps on the App Store must ask for permission to track behavior and activity across other apps and websites. If the user rejects tracking, the app cannot track this activity, and this means that marketers are suddenly without conversion events. Naturally, this impacts advertising and many other areas of the marketing strategy.
However, this isn’t the first time that a technology company has acted in the best interests of consumers. Although the change hasn’t come into effect just yet, Google has already promised to eliminate cookie tracking by 2022. What is Google doing with cookies in 2022? To answer the question from the title, it’s removing them entirely.
As you can imagine, this is a huge move from the multi-national corporation, especially when you consider the reliance that marketers and businesses have on this sort of data. According to some predictions, Google Chrome now has between 60% and 70% of the web browser traffic, and cookie tracking allows advertisers to target small niches with ad campaigns.
Those with an interest in the market will say that Safari from Apple and Firefox from Mozilla have both moved away from cookie tracking already. However, they don’t have a huge advertising platform, and they didn’t need to prepare ad support like Google.
If you’re reading this guide from an advertising perspective, the bad news is that the removal of cookie tracking will reduce data and advertising opportunities. On the other hand, Google has already revealed a replacement system. Rather than accessing your audience as individuals, you’ll access them as groups based on their interests. To learn more about advertising your business on Google, check out King Kong’s UK website, or continue reading to learn more about the basic concept behind this new change.
The theory of this new system is that everybody wins:
- Advertisers can still target niches by their interests (those who like a brand or certain products)
- Consumers have more privacy and protect their data
Google will call the new Chrome targeting system FLoC – this is short for Federated Learning of Cohorts. Although it might sound fancy, it essentially means that users are split into groups rather than individual data being sent to companies and other advertisers.
Consumers and Advertisers
If you’re a consumer and somebody who uses Chrome regularly, you can now breathe a sigh of relief because Google is removing cookies from the browser next year. You’ll still receive targeted ads, and this is because you’re put into groups based on your activity and behavior. This being said, no advertiser has access to your individual profile, and you have more control over privacy than ever before while on Chrome.
If you’re an advertiser, it’s important to prepare for this change as soon as possible. If you’re accustomed to highly-targeted ad campaigns, iOS 14 was a warning and now Google will provide an even bigger blow in 2022 with the removal of cookies on Chrome. For those who aren’t prepared for the change, you will get left behind as targeting changes in the coming months.
How do you prepare? Follow Google’s advice as it reveals more details about the update. Also, consider working with an external digital marketing agency since they will keep your campaigns on the right path regardless of what happens in the industry. Why go it alone when you have access to experienced and trained professionals?`
