Just Like Cookies, Our Dependence On Google Must Also Crumble

As regulatory pressure mounts and cookie-enabled reach continues to shrink, the industry must break free from monopolistic control and embrace privacy-first, consent-led alternatives built for the trusted, open internet.

 

Google’s Innovation Was an Illusion

 

Google’s latest move to delay the demise of third-party cookies is not a product decision – it’s deliberate procrastination. Just weeks after the U.S. Department of Justice formally labelled the company a monopolist in digital advertising, we are now expected to believe that yet another “pause” in cookie deprecation is in the name of user privacy?

 

Let’s be clear: this is not a pivot. It’s a stall – a regulatory negotiation disguised as a product roadmap update. The timing is no coincidence. And the consequences are clear. Every time the industry waits, Google wins.

 

Third-Party Cookies Are Broken Beyond Repair

 

The industry has spent the last five years acknowledging – and preparing for – the end of third-party cookies. Why? Because they don’t work. They leak data. They slow the web. They offer poor match rates. And they leave publishers blind to who’s accessing their audiences.

 

Holding onto this outdated technology does not solve the privacy challenge – it extends it. Third-party cookies are a relic of a time before user consent was mandatory, before data governance mattered, and before regulators began enforcing real accountability.

 

We cannot build a privacy-first future on yesterday’s infrastructure.

 

Fragmentation Has Already Won. The Future Is Multi-Signal

 

Here’s the reality: third-party cookies are already a minority player in the ecosystem. Only 15% of digital time occurs in cookie-enabled environments. 75% of content consumption is happening outside the browser – in apps, on CTV, in gaming and beyond. And only 60% of browsers still support third-party cookies at all.

 

Advertisers today need a future-proof, adaptive approach – one that works everywhere consumers are. That means embracing multi-signal identity solutions that are compliant by design, consistent across touchpoints, and based on fully consented relationships.

 

This is not a transition that starts next year. It’s already happening.

 

The Industry Has a Choice: Dependence or Independence

 

Publishers, advertisers, and tech providers now face a critical decision. Stay shackled to a monopolist whose every move is under regulatory fire – or choose independence through new models of identity and trust.

 

Utiq represents that model. Built in Europe. Backed by Telcos. Engineered with privacy and consumer protection at its core. We offer people the choice and control they deserve, and we enable advertisers to employ a cookieless, fully consented identifier solution that delivers results – generating significant gains in reach and engagement across channels, including CTV and gaming, whilst also improving publisher data control.

 

We’re not trying to rebuild the old system. We’re building something much, much better.

 

Privacy-First Isn’t a Trend. It’s a Mandate.

 

By 2026, Gartner predicts 75% of the global population will be covered by data privacy laws. Brands already see what’s coming, with the smart ones clearly prioritising privacy-compliant identity partners. This is not a fringe movement. This is the future of digital marketing.

 

Google’s indecision changes nothing – except the urgency with which we must act. Now is not the time to wait and see. Now is the time to commit.

 

The industry doesn’t need more delays. It needs leadership.

 

Let’s move forward. Together – without Google and without third-party cookies.