Google is pushing forward with its plan to remove a widely used tracking technology from its Chrome web browser, despite complaints from rivals that rely on it to target ads at individuals.
The Alphabet Inc. unit on Monday said that it is making progress on what it said are privacy-friendly alternatives that could replace third-party cookies, which many advertisers and other companies use to track individuals’ browsing habits across multiple websites.
Google cited positive test results for a technology that analyzes users’ browsing habits on their own devices, without sending sensitive data to central servers. A Google spokesman said such results mean the company is still on track to stop supporting such cookies in Chrome next year, when the new alternatives are expected to be ready.
Third-party cookies offer data that can be valuable to advertisers for the purpose of targeting ads, measuring their effectiveness and stopping fraud. But the way they track individuals’ personal browsing has long raised privacy concerns, leading Google to say last year that it would phase them out in 2022.
Chrome is the most widely used web browser, with more than 60% of the market globally, according to Statcounter.
