Finding the Alt-Cookie🍪
A third-party Cookie alternative
Do you remember the day websites started asking you for your Cookies? I don’t really, while I do remember a time before cookies, it seems like another life, something we had as kids. 🤔
Cookies are being phased out. More platforms are becoming focused on consent-first advertising tracking or privacy-first data use.
Platforms such as Google and Facebook have been pushed for more and more privacy over the past several years, and advertising placements on these platforms are following a similar beat, and it’s about time.
In a nutshell; technology like Unified ID 2.0 and others are what is called: “a third-party Cookie alternative”, which means the tech being used to monitor online or buying behavior will have an alternative identifier tied to hashed and encrypted email addresses. (this is to improve the conversion of sales)
The identified in this case could be different public data, that your old Cookies, used to keep to make your life a little smoother when surfing the net. (yes, I said net, fight me Zoomer), also called; standard identifiers: standardized ways of identifying and sharing user data between publishers and ad tech vendors
When it comes to Alt-Cookies though, the emphasis is consent-first, from a user point of view. Unified ID 2.0 created by The Trade Desk for one, is quoted in saying: “…the Unified ID 2.0 solution, a new approach to internet identity that answers all the questions around consumer privacy while enhancing the value exchange of the internet,” said Jeff Green, co-founder, and CEO.
That’s all well and good in theory, but, in execution, it remains to be seen on how invasive, if at all the solution will be.
Google’s privacy-first Web:
Google for one, hasn’t been too keen on the idea of an alt-Cookie; they’re not intending on making their own or encourage the creation of one. This lines up with Google’s “Privacy-first web” promise.
However, Google will still track you within the Google Framework of platforms.
All of Google’s web products will be driven by the privacy-preserving APIs currently in development within the Privacy Sandbox, including FLoC-based cohorts.
Considering tracking of success:
From my point of view, it does seem that a fair amount of conversation online would prefer a Google lead solution to Cookies or something that comes close to providing advertisers with the means of better tracking.
Apple is another platform emphasizing minimal tracking of user data from external platforms like Facebook or MMPs in their SKAdNetwork, and while some again are concerned about their bottom line, I envisage a more compartmentalized strategic approach to ad spend in the future, rather than an ALL CHANNEL ALL THE TIME gimmick.
A privacy-first or consent-first web and advertising may hurt advertisers in the short run but it may be the start of a journey for the internet to be better for more of us, rather than simply an advertisers paradise.
I’d love to know what you think about the chatter around Alt-cookie solutions, shifts to privacy first web, and related topics. Message or Tweet me!
