The cookie alternatives proposed by Google (GOOGL.US) require more measures to protect consumer privacy. Currently, there are still loopholes that advertisers can take advantage of.
The Zhitong Finance App learned that according to foreign media reports citing internal documents from the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the document said that the cookie alternatives proposed by Google (GOOGL.US) require more measures to protect consumer privacy, and there are still loopholes that advertisers can take advantage of. Cookies are a technology that tracks user activity across websites so that advertisers can deliver relevant ads to users in their Chrome browser.
According to the report, the British privacy regulator stated in a draft that Alphabet's “Privacy Sandbox” (Privacy Sandbox) technology still has loopholes and can be used to infringe on privacy and identify anonymous users. The ICO added that due to systemic industry irregularities, the company may use the technology to continue tracking users on different websites.
According to the report, ICO expects Google to make further adjustments and share this responsibility with the British regulatory agency Competition and Markets Authority (Competition and Markets Authority, CMA for short).
The draft is not final, and the ICO is expected to release its report around the end of April. The CMA has solemnly promised to consider ICO recommendations when reviewing Google's plans.
Google is preparing to modify cookies in the next few months, so the ICO move could be an obstacle. According to the report, Google has stated that it will implement the agreement reached with the CMA on a global scale.
Google will not be allowed to block cookies until the CMA deems alternative technology acceptable. The report pointed out that if the CMA asks Google to change its technology due to ICO concerns, then Google may postpone the cookie cancellation schedule to allow time for a full review of the privacy sandbox technology.
The report added that Google plans to announce changes to the way the company uses cookies and plans to complete the changes before the end of this year.