Here’s how the Chrome 80 update can affect websites and marketers

• The SameSite Cookie feature is currently being rolled out to a limited number of users, but it will eventually be enabled for everyone.
• Marketing and analytics agencies will be the most affected by this feature.
• This feature could also lead to a reduction in ad revenue for websites in the short and mid-term.

Google is rolling out the Chrome 80 update that comes with features that could fundamentally change the way the websites work. While the update is intended to improve user privacy, it has the potential to break websites, and here’s what you need to know about it.

The Chrome 80 update is one of the most significant updates in the browser’s history. It sets in motion Google’s vision to make its browser better when it comes to privacy of users. Google had first announced its roadmap in its annual developers conference in May 2019. Since then, it has been working with developers to increase awareness about its roadmap.

With the Chrome 80 update now rolling out widely, it’s important to know how it will affect you as an end user. But before that, let’s look at some of the basics.

What is a cookie?

A cookie is a simple text file that is stored in your browser by the websites that you’ve visited. It allows websites to remember certain information about you. This lets websites remember certain things like whether you’re logged in or not, whether you’ve added certain items in your cart and so on.

There are several types of cookies. Among these are tracking cookies which are used to build a long-term record of website visitors. This allows websites to improve their ads and show you more relevant information.

So, what is the privacy concern here?

Since websites use third-party tracking cookies for showing better ads and information, they can potentially erode user privacy by building long-term profiles.

Right now, any and every website you visit can access all the cookies stored in your browser. So, for example, if you visit a shopping website and then open Facebook, the cookies stored by the shopping website can be accessed by Facebook, and vice-versa.

Essentially, your browser becomes a data goldmine for all the websites you visit.

What is Google doing about it?

Google is joining Apple and Mozilla in improving user privacy with the launch of SameSite Cookie feature.

All websites create a cookie to store some information about the visitor. This is called a first-party cookie and it is owned by the website that you are viewing. All cookies apart from the first-party cookie are called third-party cookies.

Third-party cookies are generally used by advertising networks. This allows them to improve their ads and target users more efficiently.

How does this affect me?

Once the SameSite Cookie feature is enabled in your Google Chrome browser, websites will not be able to access third-party cookies. This makes sure your information is not leaked to other websites, thus improving your privacy.

However, websites which have not implemented SameSite Cookie feature properly could break. Parts of websites which require third-party cookies will no longer show up properly.

What does this mean for marketers?

There are three levels of SameSite Cookies: Strict, Lax and None. The “Strict” level ensures these cookies cannot be used by other websites. The “Lax” level allows the site to share the cookies across other websites owned by the same publisher.

The “None” level is the current default setting right now, and it allows ads and analytics to work.

Marketers and analytic-gathering agencies will be the worst hit when Google starts enforcing its SameSite Cookie feature. Marketers will not be able to offer highly relevant ads, which could lead to a reduction in ad revenue for websites.

For now, Google says that it will roll out this feature to a limited number of users to measure and evaluate its impact on the ecosystem.

See also:

Google Chrome 80 brings new cookie policy, updated notifications and more

Google Chrome will now alert you when your password has been stolen