Google is disputing claims made in a recent report about Privacy Sandbox from the IAB Tech Lab.
The report suggested that Privacy Sandbox could make it harder for marketers to show effective ads. Small brands and media companies may have a big disadvantage.
Google responded that the report had many wrong facts and missed the main goal of Privacy Sandbox – improving privacy while still allowing good digital ads.
If Privacy Sandbox really hurts smaller businesses, looking at other solutions before dropping third-party cookies may make sense.
What the IAB Tech Lab Said
The report said that in its current form, Privacy Sandbox may limit how well ads can target people, hurting smaller companies and brands.
“The strict rules could slow their ability to compete, ultimately impacting industry growth.”
Google’s Corrections
Google criticized the report, noting several mistakes and misunderstandings. Google grouped its responses into four areas:
- Ideas supported by the Privacy Sandbox tools
- Things not possible with third-party cookies anyway
- Suggestions that could rebuild tracking against privacy goals
- Areas for ad companies to solve, not browsers
While calling out wrong info, Google said it welcomes more feature requests and ideas to improve from the IAB Tech Lab.
What Google Said
Google said “The Privacy Sandbox tools help business goals while respecting privacy. They are not meant to directly replace third-party cookies.”
“To really boost privacy, we can’t just copy existing marketing techniques. But we can find solutions by adapting approaches and creating new ones.”
“Though this takes work, we believe it’s necessary and can be done through collaboration.”
Moving Forward
Google confirmed plans to remove third-party cookies later this year, addressing any UK competition concerns first.
What is the IAB Tech Lab?
The IAB Tech Lab is a non-profit group of digital media companies. It focuses on building tech and standards to help the industry grow while protecting brands, fighting fraud, and respecting consumer privacy.
