The Evolving Browser Privacy Landscape for Marketers
Browser Privacy Concerns
The competition to be known as the most privacy-focused browser is heating up among Safari, Firefox, and Google Chrome. With third-party cookies, which are essential for website analytics, becoming a key topic in privacy discussions, the browsers are taking a closer look at their role.
Third-party cookies have been utilized to provide users with a seamless cross-site experience and to personalize advertisements based on their online behavior. They can also remember items in a virtual shopping cart when a user leaves a website. However, they also pose a significant threat to privacy as they can track users across the internet and allow unauthorized access to a web system through cross-site forgery attacks. This puts any user’s browsing data at risk of being compromised.
Given the privacy concerns surrounding third-party cookies, the leading browsers have agreed to phase them out. Chrome has even announced that it will stop supporting third-party cookies within the next two years, setting a timeline for competitors with a 65% market share to follow.
While increased privacy protection is critical, especially in regards to personal browsing data, the new privacy guidelines will require marketers to adapt as third-party cookies become obsolete and cross-domain data sharing becomes more restricted.
Browsers are taking privacy more and more seriously…
In a digital landscape where privacy is becoming increasingly important to consumers, browsers are working to provide the most secure and private experience. A recent study showed that 81% of consumers feel they have no control over the data collected by companies. In response, browsers have implemented various updates to enhance their privacy stance.
Safari:
Safari With the release of version 11 in 2017, Safari introduced Intelligent Tracking Prevention. This feature strengthened privacy by eliminating support for third-party cookies and implementing a Storage Access API, which requires user consent to share data across sites.
Firefox:
Firefox Following suit, Firefox rolled out Enhanced Tracking Prevention in version 69 in 2019. This update blocked third-party services connected to sites classified as known trackers. These domains collect, share, retain or use data for tracking purposes. Firefox also gives users the option to switch to stricter privacy settings that block all third-party cookies.
Google Chrome:
Google Chrome Chrome made its own move towards privacy with the release of version 80 in 2020, which introduced default SameSite settings for third-party cookies. The SameSite attribute identifies whether or not a cookie can be accessed and, with specific parameters, allows for first-party cookies to be sent while restricting third-party cookies. After implementing these settings, Chrome announced plans to phase out support for third-party cookies entirely by 2022.
As browsers continue to prioritize privacy, marketers will need to adapt and find new ways to reach and engage their audiences.
Differences between first and third party tracking cookies
It’s crucial for marketers to understand the distinction between first-party and third-party context as browsers enforce stricter privacy policies. Understanding this concept will become increasingly important as the privacy landscape evolves.
First-Party Context First-party context refers to data that is stored within first-party cookies, and the services used by a website share the same domain, represented by the Top-Level-Domain+1 (TLD+1), such as website.com. These cookies create a personalized experience for users while they are on the site and are not shared with third-party websites that have different domains.
Third-Party Context Third-party context means that data is stored within third-party cookies, or services that do not share the same TLD+1. For instance, let’s consider a video on website www.websiteblog.com hosted on www.websitetube.com. In this scenario, the video service is considered a third-party service.
Imagine the service provides an option for the viewer to resume their incomplete viewing the next time they visit the site. The service must store the time the viewer stopped watching somewhere in their browser, and it may choose to store this information in a cookie for www.websitetube.com, which would be a third-party cookie.
Marketers must plan NOW for privacy
Marketers must start examining the customer experience across their brand’s digital presence, especially if they have multiple websites. In the past, third-party cookies have been the primary means of providing a seamless experience for users, but due to the recent privacy changes implemented by browsers, marketers will have to pivot to first-party context. To adapt, they can take the following steps:
- Combine Microsites under One Domain: Minimize the number of TLD+1 domains used for offerings and combine multiple microsites under one TLD+1 domain for a more seamless experience. This gives users the assurance that all activity is within the same company and their data is not being shared with potentially harmful third parties.
- Assess Third-Party Cookie Dependencies: Work with the IT team to identify which marketing services and sites have third-party cookie dependencies. With the eventual loss of third-party cookies, marketers must have a risk mitigation plan in place to address the impact on their marketing tactics and user engagement.
- Give Users Control over their Data: Consider offering users more control over their data in a clear manner. As user consent becomes increasingly critical in the next decade, companies that want to be trusted with user data must prioritize giving users control.
By taking these steps, marketers can continue to provide personalized experiences that drive engagement and loyalty, even as privacy restrictions become stricter.
For more information, check out Salesforce’s help documentation on privacy and browser cookie tracking.