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Security, Compliance, and the Decline of Third-Party Cookies

The issue of cookies and user tracking has long been an issue, but the importance of these marketing and development tools has kept them a vital part of our web experiences. However, Google announced that its popular Chrome browser would no longer support third-party cookies, and in January 2024, they began rolling out anti-cookie technology

This has significantly impacted businesses managing compliance with regulations, primarily with GDPR privacy requirements. Here, we’ll discuss why cookies have special consideration under GDPR rules and how businesses can address these issues. 

 

The Traditional Role of Third-Party Cookies

Cookies are small text files that websites place on users’ browsers to help provide unique experiences or track behavior. These have been a cornerstone of online marketing for almost as long as online marketing has existed and have been a security and privacy risk for just as long. 

While these cookies have been going strong for decades, regulatory pressures and consumer demand for privacy have accelerated the demise of third-party cookies. Landmark data protection legislations like GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the United States have introduced stringent requirements for user consent and data handling. Most recently, Google announced that the Chrome browser would no longer support these cookies, and with the browser boasting roughly 65% of the market share, this is a big hit against the practice. 

Accordingly, web browsers like Safari and Firefox have already started blocking third-party cookies by default, and Google Chrome has begun rolling out its protection functionality in January of 2024.

 

GDPR and the Shift in Data Collection Practices

What has led to this shift in how we think of privacy? The convergence of digital-savvy consumers and stringent regulations like GDPR reflects a more profound rethinking of compliance and its comprehensive impact on all aspects of a business’s operations. Specifically, regulations like GDPR have significantly impacted companies and data collection.

Some of the critical areas where this will impact businesses include:

These changes are signaling a pivotal transformation in digital marketing, where adherence to legal compliance, ensuring transparency, and focusing on user-centric practices are becoming integral.

 

Impact on GDPR-Compliant Marketing and User Tracking

With the decline of third-party cookies, there’s an increased focus on first-party data collected directly from interactions with customers, which means a new set of concerns for businesses. They must now look to robust, compliant data protection strategies, including state-of-the-art encryption, secure data storage, and stringent access controls.

Some of the shifts in this area will include:

 

Enhancing Data Security and User Privacy

With the move away from cookies, businesses will have to shore up existing privacy and security controls to maintain compliance while preparing to shift to new ways to engage with customers–thus introducing new challenges. Generally speaking, there are some fundamental, foundational practices that an organization can focus on that will serve them across this transition:

 

Managing Your Privacy Controls with Continuum GRC

Want a solution that can help you monitor compliance controls across your organization? Trust Continuum GRC. 

Continuum GRC is a cloud platform that can take something as routine and necessary as regular vulnerability scanning and reporting under FedRAMP and make it an easy and timely part of business in the public sector. We provide risk management and compliance support for every major regulation and compliance framework on the market, including:

And more. We are the only FedRAMP and StateRAMP-authorized compliance and risk management solution worldwide.

Continuum GRC is a proactive cyber security® and the only FedRAMP and StateRAMP-authorized cybersecurity audit platform worldwide. Call 1-888-896-6207 to discuss your organization’s cybersecurity needs and find out how we can help your organization protect its systems and ensure compliance.

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