UK Competition Agency Closes Case Against Google Privacy Sandbox
The U.K. Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) on Friday released Google from commitments it made in February 2022 regarding its Privacy Sandbox on the grounds that there are no longer any competition concerns.
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The sandbox is "a set of proposed changes to Google's Chrome browser intended to limit cross-site tracking by replacing third-party cookies and other functions with alternative technologies," the CMA said. The company committed to developing the sandbox in a way that wouldn't "distort online advertising markets."
CMA's concerns centered on Google's plan to remove cookies, "the fundamental building block" supporting the "effectiveness of online advertising services" offered by rival publishers and ad businesses, the watchdog said.
In July 2024, Google announced it would no longer remove cookies from Chrome but would instead show a stand-alone prompt asking users to choose between restricting or maintaining the cookies. In April, the company said it no longer planned to roll out the prompt and also confirmed it wouldn't remove cookies.