The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has expressed concern over Google’s recent decision to abandon plans to block third-party cookies in its Chrome browser. In its statement, the W3C emphasizes the need to remove third-party cookies as they may pose risks to online privacy.
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According to W3C experts, third-party cookies allow users to track activity across different sites, which violates privacy. And while they can be useful for logging into various systems or saving items in a cart, they are also used to track user activity or covertly collect data in order to display targeted advertising.
«Collecting hidden personal data harms everyone’s privacy, the W3C said in a statement. “Tracking and selling data could also support micro-targeting of political messages, which would have detrimental consequences for society.”
The consortium notes that its position on third-party cookies is shared by many organizations and regulators, including the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and advocacy group Privacy International, which recently called for third-party cookies to be disabled in the Google Chrome browser.
Interestingly, the W3C has been collaborating with the Google Privacy Sandbox team for several years to develop alternative ways to preserve the functionality of the software environment without compromising privacy. However, Google’s recent decision undermines all the work aimed at making the web work without third-party cookies.
The W3C called on Google to reconsider its decision and return to plans to block such files. In any case, the group will continue to work to create a more secure and private Internet and looks forward to collaborating with developers of all browsers in this regard.