The CMA is concerned about the management of third-party cookies by Google

The CMA is still concerned about the management of third-party cookies

The third quarterly report from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) was published after Google announced that it was giving up on actively deleting third-party cookies from Chrome, as originally planned. As part of the implementation of the Privacy Sandbox, the CMA had already expressed concerns about the impact that this could have on competition in the online advertising sector. In response to Google's decision, the CMA sought the views of various stakeholders and, after analysis, concludes that the changes made by Google still raise competition concerns. The authority therefore asked Google to review its commitments, otherwise it would examine additional measures to regulate the situation.

The role of the CMA and its expectations

The mission of the CMA is to monitor Google's practices in order to ensure a fair competitive environment. It requires Google to update its commitments to better address concerns raised by the removal of third-party cookies and the implementation of the Privacy Sandbox. If Google is unable to convince the authority of the limited impact of its changes, the CMA could consider tougher actions to protect competition. This report highlights the tension between technological innovation and regulatory concerns in the field of online advertising.

The CMA therefore continues to closely monitor developments in Google's policy, raising the question of competition in an environment increasingly controlled by big tech companies.

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