The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has raised continuing competition concerns over Google’s revised “Privacy Sandbox” changes to its Chrome browser, despite recent commitments from Google. The CMA’s investigation focuses on Google’s proposal to replace third-party cookies with Privacy Sandbox features, which would allow users to decide whether to retain third-party cookies.
On July 22, 2024, Google announced its new approach to Privacy Sandbox, inviting stakeholder feedback on how the changes might impact consumers and market dynamics. The CMA received responses indicating that significant competition concerns remain. These include potential impacts on digital advertising competition and implications for user choice in online tracking.
The CMA is in ongoing discussions with Google to update the commitments to address these concerns. Should an agreement on acceptable changes not be reached, the CMA may take further action. Public consultation on the updated commitments is expected in the fourth quarter of 2024, alongside an update on testing and trial results of Privacy Sandbox tools.
The CMA is working with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to assess privacy and design implications of Google’s revised model, aiming to balance competition with robust privacy standards.
Source: https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/investigation-into-googles-privacy-sandbox-browser-changes
