Google has delayed the deprecation of third-party cookies to meet the requirements of the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The CMA has raised concerns about how the removal of third-party cookies could negatively impact the broader digital marketing industry and Google’s competitors. Google is working to address these concerns but has not yet been able to adequately resolve all the issues highlighted by the CMA.

Google remains committed to working with the CMA and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and hopes to conclude the process within the year. Assuming an agreement is reached, Google envisions starting the third-party cookie deprecation process in Chrome early the following year.

The Privacy Sandbox for the Web is an initiative by Google aimed at enhancing privacy on the web. It involves the development of new technologies to replace third-party cookies and other types of trackers that are used for advertising and website analytics while still allowing for personalized content and ads without compromising user privacy.

Google has not specified a new date for the completion of third-party cookie deprecation. The company has announced that it will not complete the deprecation during the second half of Q4 as previously planned, due to the need to reconcile feedback from the industry, regulators, and developers, and to allow the CMA sufficient time to review all evidence, including results from industry tests.