Key Takeaways

• Google will continue supporting third-party cookies in Chrome, reversing its previous phase-out plan

• The decision was announced in April 2025 after years of postponements and Privacy Sandbox development

• Publishers who had been facing potential revenue losses of 30-60% can now maintain current ad operations

• Despite the reversal, preparing for first-party data strategies remains essential as privacy regulations continue to evolve

Google's Cookie U-Turn: What Actually Happened?

In a surprising move that sent ripples through the adtech industry, Google announced in April 2025 that it would no longer proceed with phasing out third-party cookies in Chrome. This marks a complete reversal of the plan first announced back in January 2020, when Google said it would eliminate these tracking mechanisms within two years.

The decision comes after multiple delays and postponemments of the original timeline. First, the deadline was pushed to 2023, then to late 2024, and most recently to 2025. Now, instead of removing cookies entirely, Google will retain them while allowing users to manage their cookie preferences through Chrome's existing privacy settings.

"We've heard feedback across the ecosystem about the importance of third-party cookies for a range of purposes," stated the Chrome Privacy team in their announcement. "Users will continue to have control over their privacy settings just as they do today."

Why Did Google Change Its Mind?

Several factors contributed to Google's reversal. The most significant were:

1. Revenue concerns for publishers: Early testing showed that without cookies, many publishers could lose between 30% to 60% of their ad revenue. That's a massive hit that many sites simply couldn't absorb.

2. Pushback from advertisers: Major advertisers and adtech companies expressed serious concerns about the effectiveness of Google's Privacy Sandbox alternatives like Topics API and FLEDGE, which weren't delivering comparable performance.

3. Regulatory scrutiny: The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) had halted Google's progress in April 2024, citing unresolved antitrust and privacy issues with the Privacy Sandbox APIs.

4. Technical challenges: Implementing the Privacy Sandbox was proving more difficult and complex than expected, with adoption rates among publishers and advertisers falling well below targets.

What This Means for Publishers

If you're a publisher who's been worried about the "cookiepocalypse," you can breathe a temporary sigh of relief. Here's what this means for you:

• Existing ad ops can continue: Your current ad stack and targeting capabilities that rely on third-party cookies will continue to function.

• Revenue stability: The feared 30-60% drop in programmatic revenue won't materialize in the immediate future.

• Time to adapt: You now have more time to develop and implement first-party data strategies without the pressure of an imminent deadline.

According to Jason Kint, CEO of Digital Content Next, "This gives publishers crucial breathing room to build sustainable alternatives while maintaining current revenue streams. But it doesn't mean the industry should stop innovating."

What This Means for Advertisers

For advertisers and marketers, Google's reversal provides some continuity but doesn't change the long-term trajectory toward more privacy-centric advertising:

• Targeting capabilities preserved: Behavioral targeting, retargeting, and frequency capping based on third-party cookies will continue to work on Chrome.

• Attribution models intact: Current attribution methodologies can remain in place without immediate overhauls.

• Strategic pivot still needed: Despite the reprieve, the fundamental shift toward privacy-first advertising hasn't changed.

"Advertisers should view this not as a reason to become complacent, but as an opportunity to properly implement and test privacy-preserving solutions without a hard cutoff date," explains Ruben Schreurs, Chief Strategy Officer at Ebiquity.

The Path Forward: What Should You Do Now?

Even with this major policy reversal, the industry continues to move toward a more privacy-focused future. Smart publishers and advertisers should:

For Publishers:

1. Build first-party relationships: Continue investing in direct audience relationships, email newsletters, registrations and subscriptions.

2. Test contextual solutions: Experiment with advanced contextual targeting that doesn't rely on user-level tracking.

3. Diversify revenue: Reduce dependence on programmatic display advertising with affiliate, sponsorships, and direct deals.

For Advertisers:

1. Continue investing in data clean rooms: These privacy-preserving environments will become increasingly important regardless of cookie status.

2. Develop cookieless measurement: Work on measurement frameworks that don't depend entirely on third-party tracking.

3. Balance strategies: Use cookies where available but build parallel capabilities for environments where they're not (like Safari and Firefox).

The Bigger Picture

Google's reversal doesn't exist in a vacuum. It's part of a complex landscape that includes:

• Browser fragmentation: Safari and Firefox already block third-party cookies, creating a fragmented web where Chrome now stands alone in supporting them.

• Privacy regulations: GDPR, CCPA, and emerging privacy laws continue to restrict data collection regardless of technical capabilities.

• Consumer expectations: Users increasingly expect transparency and control over their data, driving market changes beyond any single company's policies.

"The future of advertising was never just about cookies," notes Stephanie Liu, analyst at Forrester. "It's about finding the right balance between personalization and privacy across a fragmented ecosystem."

Bottom Line

Google's decision to keep supporting third-party cookies in Chrome provides a temporary reprieve for the digital advertising ecosystem. But make no mistake—the underlying trends toward greater privacy protection, regulatory oversight, and consumer control over data continue unabated.

Smart publishers and advertisers will use this time wisely to build sustainable, privacy-preserving strategies that will work regardless of what happens with cookies in the future.

After all, in the ever-changing world of adtech, the only constant is change itself.