Google's cookie plans face renewed scrutiny by UK watchdog

New Delhi: Google's online advertising practices are under the microscope once again in Britain, as the country's competition watchdog has raised concerns about the company's revised plans to retain third-party cookies in its Chrome browser.

In July, Google reversed a previous decision to phase out cookies, which are small pieces of code that track users' online activity. Advertisers, a major source of Google's revenue, had protested that removing cookies would limit their ability to target ads effectively, making them more reliant on Google's own user data.

To address these concerns, Google announced that users would have the option to allow cookies to track their browsing behavior. However, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has expressed doubts about whether this approach adequately safeguards competition.

"Based on careful consideration of the responses we received, the CMA’s view is that competition concerns remain under Google’s revised approach," the CMA said in a statement. "If the CMA is not able to agree changes to the commitments with Google which address the competition concerns, then the CMA will consider what further action may be necessary."

Google's use of cookies has attracted scrutiny from other regulators as well, including Britain's privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner's Office. While the ICO previously supported Google's plans to ditch cookies, it has not yet commented on the company's revised approach.   

A Google spokesperson defended the company's decision, stating that it would give users greater control over their online privacy. 

"As we finalise this approach, we’ll continue to consult with the CMA, ICO and other regulators globally, and look forward to ongoing collaboration with the ecosystem to build for a private, ad-supported internet," the spokesperson said.