Chrome Tracking Privacy Concerns

Longtime Google Chrome users might already know that the internet behemoth is back in the spotlight again… but it’s not with good news.

After promising to phase out third-party cookies, Chrome has admitted to reversing their decision and bringing them back into the fold. This has sparked fresh waves of discussion around the contentious issue of Chrome tracking privacy concerns. Not sure what all the fuss is about? Here’s a breakdown of how these cookies might impact your day-to-day browsing and why you should care. 

What Are Third-Party Cookies?

Third‑party cookies are pieces of code that track your online activity and are primarily used by advertisers. Their purpose is to track you to build a profile of your interests, your habits, and your general online behaviours. This makes it so that they can market directly to you (whether you are interested or not). 

Not to be confused with first-party cookies, which help you remember your password or the items in your online shopping cart, third-party cookies take note of that pair of shoes you googled last week and then sends you ads for similar shoes across every subsequent site you might visit. 

Google Promised Their Removal

Initially, Google announced a plan to phase out third-party cookies in response to privacy concerns and a notable shift in industry standards. Much to the chagrin of privacy-conscious users, by late 2023, Google had quietly started to walk back their promise.

As an alternative to fully removing these tracking components, Google is now developing systems like the Privacy Sandbox, which groups users into categories based on their interests. While it offers a nominal level of privacy, critics point out that it still allows advertisers to track your online behavior — just more subtly than before

To this end, many believe the Privacy Sandbox approach  is less about protecting user privacy and more about Google maintaining their dominance in the advertising space.

Privacy Advocates Push Back

Reintroducing third-party cookies in any form has reignited discussions regarding Chrome tracking privacy concerns. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and other such organizations have argued that online users deserve true privacy from Google and other digital giants. They believe that we should not settle for watered-down alternatives that still allow for behavioural profiling.

With Chrome remaining one of the most widely used browsers globally Google has enormous power over how privacy is handled (or not handled) on the web.

What To Do

Since the chance of a collective retreat from online use is unlikely, there are a few choices you can make to help protect your privacy. 

Consider switching to a browser like Brave, Firefox, or Tor, which all block third-party cookies and other trackers as a default. Installing privacy tools like uBlock Origin or using a VPN when online are other lines of defense to consider as well. 

Hushed can help you protect your digital privacy by keeping your personal phone number out of the hands of advertisers. Sign up for services, dating apps, or make purchases with a second number from Hushed to ensure your real number stays off the grid, untracked.