
UK Watchdog Raises Concerns About Google’s Ad-Privacy Plan, Reports Reuters
By Martin Coulter
LONDON (Reuters) – Google’s online advertising methods are under renewed examination in Britain after the competition authority expressed ongoing concerns about the company’s decision to maintain third-party cookies in its Chrome browser.
In July, the tech giant abandoned plans to eliminate cookies — small data packets that monitor user activity across the internet — from Chrome. Advertisers, who are vital to Google’s revenue, argued that this change would hinder their ability to personalize advertisements, making them reliant on Google’s own user databases.
To address criticism, Google, owned by Alphabet, stated that users would have the option to permit cookies to track them while browsing with Chrome.
Following this decision, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) invited stakeholders to provide their feedback on the change.
"After careful consideration of the responses we received, the CMA believes that competition concerns still exist regarding Google’s revised approach," the CMA announced in a statement on Tuesday.
"If the CMA cannot negotiate modifications to the commitments with Google that would alleviate these competition concerns, it will consider further actions that may be necessary," the agency added.
Google’s cookie practices have also drawn the attention of other regulators, including the Information Commissioner’s Office, which had previously backed the company’s intentions to eliminate tracking tools.
A Google representative stated that the company’s new approach would allow users to make informed choices while browsing the web with Chrome.
"As we finalize this approach, we’ll continue consulting with the CMA, ICO, and other global regulators, and we look forward to ongoing collaboration with the ecosystem to create a private, ad-supported internet."