Will the End of Internet 'Cookies' Bring More User Privacy?
2021-03-11
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1Google has announced plans to stop supporting tools designed to follow internet users across the web in order to target them with specific advertising.
2Such tools are known as cookies.
3These are small data files that are stored on an internet user's computer as they browse different websites.
4This data can be read by web servers to identify web browsing behaviors of the user.
5Cookies make it possible for users to avoid having to repeatedly enter their user names and passwords to get access to websites they use often.
6But the use of cookies raises major privacy concerns, with critics saying a user's browsing history should not be recorded just to target them with ads.
7Google announced in 2020 it had decided "to remove support for third-party cookies" from its Chrome browser.
8Chrome has a world market share of about 60 percent.
9Other browsers, such as Mozilla's Firefox and Apple's Safari, have already blocked third-party cookies.
10In another recent online announcement, Google repeated this promise and said it will not build or use new tools to replace current cookie technology.
11In explaining its decision, Google pointed to a Pew Research study that found 72 percent of Americans feel that almost all of what they do online or on a cellphone is tracked by advertisers.
12Google's decision to remove third-party cookies also followed increasing efforts to protect privacy in Europe and the United States.
13Google said the current internet advertising model needs to change to answer "the growing concerns people have about their privacy and how their personal identity is being used."
14Otherwise, it added, "we risk the future of the free and open web."
15In January, however, Google's plan was called into question by British competition regulators.
16The country's Competition and Markets Authority announced it had launched an investigation into whether the changes would give Google an unfair advantage over competitors in internet advertising.
17The agency said it received objections to the plan from Marketers for an Open Web, a coalition of technology and publishing companies.
18The group accuses Google of "abusing its dominant position" by attempting to create a new advertising model.
19In its latest statement, Google said it has been working with others in the industry on the "Privacy Sandbox" project, which aims to create a new system to please both advertisers and publishers.
20Google also repeated that it does not plan to replace third-party cookies with new "user level identifiers."
21"We will not build alternate identifiers to track individuals as they browse across the web, nor will we use them in our products," the company said.
22What Google is proposing is to group web users with similar interests together to gather information for advertising purposes.
23Such a system would "hide individuals within large [groups] of people" and prevent individual tracking, the company said.
24Businesses could, for example, target ads to a group of people who show interest in buying a car, rather than using cookies that tracked individual users across different car-buying websites.
25James Rosewell heads Marketers for an Open Web.
26He told The Associated Press that even though the changes are aimed at improving user privacy, Google will still be able to track users of its own services.
27"What they're not saying is that 'people are logged into our products all the time'" and therefore are giving permission to be tracked when they use Search, Maps, Gmail or YouTube, Rosewell said.
28"What they're not saying is, 'we're going to stop all of that'."
29I'm Bryan Lynn.
1Google has announced plans to stop supporting tools designed to follow internet users across the web in order to target them with specific advertising. 2Such tools are known as cookies. These are small data files that are stored on an internet user's computer as they browse different websites. This data can be read by web servers to identify web browsing behaviors of the user. 3Cookies make it possible for users to avoid having to repeatedly enter their user names and passwords to get access to websites they use often. But the use of cookies raises major privacy concerns, with critics saying a user's browsing history should not be recorded just to target them with ads. 4Google announced in 2020 it had decided "to remove support for third-party cookies" from its Chrome browser. Chrome has a world market share of about 60 percent. Other browsers, such as Mozilla's Firefox and Apple's Safari, have already blocked third-party cookies. 5In another recent online announcement, Google repeated this promise and said it will not build or use new tools to replace current cookie technology. 6In explaining its decision, Google pointed to a Pew Research study that found 72 percent of Americans feel that almost all of what they do online or on a cellphone is tracked by advertisers. Google's decision to remove third-party cookies also followed increasing efforts to protect privacy in Europe and the United States. 7Google said the current internet advertising model needs to change to answer "the growing concerns people have about their privacy and how their personal identity is being used." Otherwise, it added, "we risk the future of the free and open web." 8Questions raised on Google's plan 9In January, however, Google's plan was called into question by British competition regulators. The country's Competition and Markets Authority announced it had launched an investigation into whether the changes would give Google an unfair advantage over competitors in internet advertising. 10The agency said it received objections to the plan from Marketers for an Open Web, a coalition of technology and publishing companies. The group accuses Google of "abusing its dominant position" by attempting to create a new advertising model. 11In its latest statement, Google said it has been working with others in the industry on the "Privacy Sandbox" project, which aims to create a new system to please both advertisers and publishers. Google also repeated that it does not plan to replace third-party cookies with new "user level identifiers." 12"We will not build alternate identifiers to track individuals as they browse across the web, nor will we use them in our products," the company said. 13What Google is proposing is to group web users with similar interests together to gather information for advertising purposes. Such a system would "hide individuals within large [groups] of people" and prevent individual tracking, the company said. 14Businesses could, for example, target ads to a group of people who show interest in buying a car, rather than using cookies that tracked individual users across different car-buying websites. 15James Rosewell heads Marketers for an Open Web. He told The Associated Press that even though the changes are aimed at improving user privacy, Google will still be able to track users of its own services. 16"What they're not saying is that 'people are logged into our products all the time'" and therefore are giving permission to be tracked when they use Search, Maps, Gmail or YouTube, Rosewell said. "What they're not saying is, 'we're going to stop all of that'." 17I'm Bryan Lynn. 18The Associated Press reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. 19We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. 20________________________________________________________________ 21Words in This Story 22browse - v. to look at information on the internet 23access - n. the right or ability to approach, enter, or use 24track - v. to follow and watch the progress of a process or project 25regulator - n. a part of the government that controls a public activity by making and enforcing rules 26advantage - n. something (such as a good position or condition) that helps to make someone or something better or more likely to succeed 27dominant - adj. the main or most important 28alternate - adj. taking the place of something else 29log in - v. to connect a computer to a system of computers by usually entering a name and password