By Neej Gore, Chief Data Officer. Last week, in a predictable move with surprising timing, Google's Privacy Sandbox Vice President Anthony Chavez announced that Chrome will no longer phase out third-party cookies. Google had piloted cookie deprecation for 1% of Chrome users in January but has postponed the plan twice since.

"In light of this, we are proposing an updated approach that elevates user choice," Chavez wrote. "Instead of deprecating third-party cookies, we would introduce a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing, and they'd be able to adjust that choice at any time."

The announcement was light on details, but the shift means that third-party cookies will remain a central part of the online advertising ecosystem for the foreseeable future.