Google launched Privacy Sandbox, an alternative to third-party cookies, with the goal of improving user privacy on the web. Privacy Sandbox was introduced as an open source solution in 2019 and since then has been the subject of collaboration between publishers, ad technology providers, and consumers to create effective solutions.
The company already tested a small percentage of Android 13 users in February, and now the Privacy Sandbox is generally available. Google believes that the implementation of privacy-preserving alternatives such as the Privacy Sandbox is essential to avoid reducing access to information for users and the proliferation of invasive tracking techniques such as fingerprinting.
The need for the Privacy Sandbox stems from the fact that third-party cookies and applications allow companies to track user activity across multiple sites and applications, often without their knowledge or consent. This may result in the widespread dissemination of personal data. Privacy Sandbox technologies give websites the ability to display targeted ads without using extensive monitoring of user behavior. These technologies minimize the collection of user data and ensure that data remains private. Additionally, Privacy Sandbox gives users more control over the types of ads they see.
The technology tracks topics of interest based on the user’s browsing history, allowing advertisers to show relevant ads. The technology’s API became available to developers in July. The Privacy Sandbox rollout is gradually rolling out to all Chrome users. To access the new controls for customizing ad preferences, users can go to Chrome’s Settings menu, select Privacy & Security, and then select Ad Privacy Controls. It should be noted that Safari and Firefox already block third-party cookies.
