Google's Privacy Sandbox Ad-tracking Overhaul Clears Major Regulatory Hurdle

Google's plan to phase out third-party cookies and replace them with a bundle of new standards referred to as the 'Privacy Sandbox' just overcame a key regulatory hurdle. From a report: The UK's competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), has formally accepted Google's commitments about how it'll develop the new standards so they don't harm competition or unfairly benefit the search giant's own advertising business, the regulator announced today. Google's plans are still in flux, and it's not yet clear exactly what technologies Privacy Sandbox will use to replace third-party cookies. Just last month, Google abandoned one planned approach, FLoC, in favor of a new system called Topics API. Today's approval is for Google's approach, rather than any one specific technology. The regulator notes that in the next phase it will 'supervise Google to ensure the Privacy Sandbox is developed in a way that benefits consumers.'

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