Death of Cookies?

If Google does not change its announcement, as of January 1^st, 2024, the most popular web browser (Chrome) will not accept third party cookies any more.

What Are Third Party Cookies?

The easiest way to explain this term is to divide cookies into two groups:

1. First party cookies which are the website administrator’s own cookies they are for the administrator’s own purposes, for example to analyze users’ behavior or adjust the website for user’s individual preferences.
2. Third party cookies which are cookies installed by the website administrator’s partners – usually after user clicks a button with consent. These cookies are used mostly for advertising purposes – adjusting advertising content to the user’s preferences or behavior. Everyone who reads conditions presented before clicking the button with consent, can see that the list consists of many points. It means that by one click the user gives consent for installation cookies by many entities.

It is going to be changed. It will not result from change of legal provisions, but from limitation of the web browser by Google described above. It seems that the aim of that change is to prevent users from giving “ad block” consent. Will it be effective? It is possible that not.

You have to remember that a cookie file is only a carrier of determined information or data about behavior or preferences of the web browser user. It cannot be excluded that a technology of following based on cookies will be substituted by another which will create a way around the above prohibition.

New solution will require conformity with personal data protection law which primarily will require consent for data processing and provision of information to data subjects. Last but not least, is to ensure that the new solution will not make using web browsers more difficult for users.