Probe into Alterations in Google's 'Privacy Sandbox' for web browsers
Google has announced changes to its Privacy Sandbox proposals and its approach to third-party cookies in Chrome, which may impact user privacy. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK's competition watchdog, has launched a public consultation to decide whether to release Google from the commitments it previously offered to address competition concerns.
Originally, Google's commitments aimed to ensure that its Privacy Sandbox was developed in a way that did not favor its ad-tech services over competitors and to prevent potential harm to competition and consumer interests. However, following Google's withdrawal from key elements of these plans, including the decision not to prompt Chrome users to decide on blocking third-party cookies, the CMA now considers the protections unnecessary.
The CMA is seeking stakeholder views before making a final decision later in 2025. Interested parties can submit feedback via email to the CMA. The authority has emphasized that it will retain powers to intervene in the future if competition concerns reemerge under relevant UK competition laws.
The consultation opened on June 13, 2025, and will close on July 4, 2025, at 11:55 pm. The CMA has worked closely with the Information Commissioner's Office to consider privacy and competition aspects together throughout this process.
Details about the consultation, including how to respond, are available on the dedicated consultation page. The CMA's decision to consult before releasing the commitments offered by Google indicates a potential shift in the regulatory approach to Google's privacy practices.
Data-and-cloud-computing technologies play a crucial role in the CMA's public consultation regarding Google's Privacy Sandbox, as stakeholders are invited to share their views on the impact of Google's changes to its Privacy Sandbox proposals and its approach to third-party cookies on technology, competition, and consumer interests. The CMA's regulatory approach to Google's privacy practices may be experiencing a potential adjustment as a result of this consultation.
