According to reports, The Movement for an Open Web, an industry organization representing advertisers, publishers and technology companies, filed a complaint with the European Union against Google today, claiming that Google’s Chrome browser plan to cancel cookies is an antitrust behavior. Will seriously affect the revenue of advertisers and publishers.
At the beginning of last year, Google announced that it would phase out the Chrome browser’s support for third-party cookies in the next two years, on the grounds that users have put forward higher requirements for privacy and data control rights. After discontinuing support for third-party cookies, Google plans to promote its “Privacy Sandbox” technology.
But publishers and ad technology companies have complained that Google’s so-called privacy sandbox will limit their ability to collect information from online users, thereby affecting their ability to provide more valuable advertisements.
Currently, most Internet users are using Google’s Chrome browser (Browsers based on Chrome technology, such as Microsoft Edge browser, will also implement this policy). Obviously, this decision will subvert the current online advertising market. Cookies have been the cornerstone of digital advertising for 25 years. Third-party cookies are the most commonly used tool for accurate cross-platform advertising.
“Open Network Movement” representative lawyer Tim Cowen (Tim Cowen) today said that Google’s move will give it greater power to determine what data can be shared on the network, and with whom. He said: “Google said that they are strengthening the privacy of end-users, but in fact, it is not, but a creepy data mining activities.”
The European Commission confirmed today that it has received a complaint from the “Open Network Movement” and will evaluate it according to standard procedures. In June of this year, the European Union has launched an investigation into Google’s online display advertising technology services. The European Commission also said at the time that it would also investigate whether Google unfairly prevented competitors from accessing user data and canceled cookie privacy changes.
Google declined to comment on the “Open Network Movement” complaint but reiterated its previous position that the “Privacy Sandbox” is an open initiative designed to provide users with strong privacy while also supporting publishers.
Currently, the British antitrust agency “CMA” (CMA) and the U.S. Department of Justice are investigating Google’s “Privacy Sandbox” program. CMA said that these measures may weaken publishers’ ability and disrupt competition in the digital advertising market, thereby further consolidating Google’s market power.
Affected by this, Google announced in June this year that it will postpone the timetable for the Chrome browser to eliminate third-party tracking cookies from 2022 to 2023, so that the digital advertising industry has more time to plan more privacy-conscious targeted advertising.
