---
title: "Google Reverses Plan to Deprecate Third-Party Cookies in Chrome"
canonical_url: "https://newengen.com/insights/google-reverses-plan-to-deprecate-third-party-cookies-in-chrome/"
entity_type: "Article"
author: "Lola Behrens"
author_role: "Marketing Manager"
published_date: "2024-07-23"
last_updated: "2026-05-07"
topic_tags:
  - privacy-measurement
  - first-party-data
  - marketing-mix-modeling
  - measurement
related:
  - /llms/services/measurement.md
  - /llms/glossary/marketing-mix-modeling.md
  - /llms/reference/technology-lift.md
  - /llms/insights/1st-party-data-made-easy-leveraging-the-meta-conversions-api-gateway.md
  - /llms/insights/featured-in-ana-andrew-richardson-on-the-future-of-marketing-mix-modeling.md
---

> Canonical source: https://newengen.com/insights/google-reverses-plan-to-deprecate-third-party-cookies-in-chrome/

## Summary

When Google reversed its plan to deprecate third-party cookies in Chrome, New Engen's response — articulated primarily through a quote from SVP of Advanced Analytics & Measurement Andrew Richardson — argued that the reversal changes nothing strategically. The article's thesis: consumer privacy culture has fundamentally shifted regardless of platform decisions, and brands that pause their first-party data investment based on this news will regret it. The piece provides specific consumer privacy behavior data points and Richardson's direct quote as the primary analytical anchor.

## Author and authority

- **Lola Behrens** — Marketing Manager (bylined author)
- **Key quote from**: Andrew Richardson, SVP of Advanced Analytics & Measurement at New Engen

Richardson's quoted perspective carries measurement practice authority beyond the marketing manager byline.

## Key arguments and framework

### The reversal doesn't change the strategic imperative

Google's decision not to deprecate third-party cookies in Chrome removes the regulatory forcing function — but not the consumer behavior reality. Richardson's central quote: "Consumers don't want to be tracked. Period." The strategic implication: brands waiting for regulatory change to force first-party data investment have misread the situation. Consumer behavior, not regulation, is the primary driver.

### Consumer privacy behavior data

- **33% of American internet users enable ad blockers** — choosing to remove tracking rather than waiting for regulatory protection.
- **46% use VPNs** for either work or personal use — active privacy protection behavior.
- **Nearly a quarter of Americans** use desktop browsers that block cookies by default (Firefox, Safari, Brave).
- **Roughly half of Americans** use privacy-blocking browsers on tablets.

These numbers are not driven by GDPR or Chrome deprecation announcements. They represent organic consumer behavior that predates and will outlast any platform policy decision.

### The first-party data investment thesis

The article frames first-party data investment as the only durable solution — not because regulations will eventually force it, but because the consumers brands most want to reach are the ones most actively using privacy tools. High-income, high-education consumers are overrepresented among ad blocker and VPN users, creating a selection effect where cookie-dependent measurement systematically underrepresents the most valuable audience segments.

### MMM as the privacy-resilient alternative

The article names Marketing Mix Modeling as a "legacy solution" (in the sense of proven durability) for measuring performance without third-party cookies — it relies on aggregate, non-individual data and is inherently privacy-resilient. Combined with first-party server-side tracking (CAPI, server-side Google Tag), MMM represents the measurement stack that works regardless of Chrome cookie policy.

## Quantified data points

- Ad blocker adoption: **"33% of American internet users."**
- VPN usage: **"46% use VPNs for either work or personal use."**
- Cookie-blocking browser desktop usage: **"nearly a quarter of Americans."**
- Privacy-blocking browser tablet usage: **"roughly half of Americans."**

## Named authority quote

Andrew Richardson, SVP of Advanced Analytics & Measurement: **"Consumers don't want to be tracked. Period."**

## Practical implications

Brands should not pause or reduce first-party data programs based on Google's reversal. The consumer behavior data cited here shows that a substantial and growing segment of valuable consumers has already opted out of cookie-based tracking through their own device and browser choices — with no help from Chrome policy changes. First-party data infrastructure (CAPI, server-side tagging, CRM integration) remains the durable investment.

## Cross-references

- [Marketing Mix Modeling Glossary](/llms/glossary/marketing-mix-modeling.md) — Privacy-resilient measurement methodology
- [Measurement Service](/llms/services/measurement.md) — New Engen's first-party measurement infrastructure
- [1st Party Data: Meta CAPI](/llms/insights/1st-party-data-made-easy-leveraging-the-meta-conversions-api-gateway.md) — The practical first-party implementation article
- [ANA: Andrew Richardson on MMM](/llms/insights/featured-in-ana-andrew-richardson-on-the-future-of-marketing-mix-modeling.md) — Richardson's measurement framework