This March 19, 2018 file photo shows the Google app on an iPad in Baltimore. Google says it won't develop new ways to follow individual users across the internet after it phases out existing ad tracking technology from Chrome browsers in an upcoming overhaul aimed at tightening up privacy. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
Google says it won't develop new ways to follow individual users across the internet after it phases out existing ad tracking technology from Chrome browsers in an upcoming overhaul aimed at tightening up privacy.
The digital giant has been working on proposals to remove from Chrome so-called third-party cookies, which are snippets of code used by a website's advertisers to record browsing history in order to show users personalized ads.
Third-party cookies have been a longstanding source of privacy concerns, so Google proposes instead grouping together web users with similar interests and keeping web histories private on user devices.
In a blog post, David Temkin, Google's director of product management for ads privacy and trust, said the company continues to get questions on whether it will join others in the ad tech industry that plan to replace third-party cookies with alternative user-level identifiers.
“Today, we’re making explicit that once third-party cookies are phased out, we will not build alternate identifiers to track individuals as they browse across the web, nor will we use them in our products," Temkin said.
Google plans to roll out the changes by next year. However, Google's proposals have drawn criticism from players in the online ad industry as well as scrutiny from U.K. regulators over concerns that it will add to the tech giant's already dominant power in online advertising.
Chrome is the world’s dominant web browser, and many rival browsers like Microsoft’s Edge are based on Google’s Chromium technology. Google will still be able to track users itself through data collected from its services like Search, Maps, and YouTube.
The U.S. economy grew at an unexpectedly brisk 3.3% annual pace from October through December as Americans showed a continued willingness to spend freely despite high interest rates and frustrating price levels.
Alan Becker, CEO and Investment Adviser Representative at Retirement Solutions Group and RSG Investments, shares his thoughts on the latest GDP data plus why he's not sold cryptocurrency as a long-term asset.
The Biden administration wants to ban another type of bank “junk fee," targeting fees that are typically charged by banks when a transaction is declined in real time.
Al Root, senior writer at Barron’s, breaks down everything expected from Tesla’s earnings report, from Elon Musk’s demands from the board to why the market has been looking for affordable EV options.
Online retailer eBay Inc. will cut about 1,000 jobs, or an estimated 9% of its full-time workforce. The announcement follows similar moves by other tech companies that ramped up hiring during the pandemic while people spent more time and money online.
Tony Drake, CFP at Drake and Associates, LLC shares thoughts on whether the record gains in technology will broaden to other sectors, the risks of the Fed keeping interest rates higher for too long, and the health of the U.S. consumer.
The Federal Trade Commission ruled that Intuit engaged in deceptive practices by running ads claiming consumers could file their taxes for free using TurboTax — when many taxpayers did not qualify for such free offerings.
