Google announced earlier this year that it would work with other software companies browsing to block third-party cookies in Chrome.
So today developers have their first chance to try a suggested alternative to track users across the web: Trust tokens.
Unlike cookies, trust tokens are designed for control identity of a user without needing to know their identity. Trust tokens won't be able to track users across websites, because in theory they're all the same, but they will be able to allow websites to prove to advertisers that it was real users and not bots who visited a website or clicked on an ad.
Trust Token API Explainer
Google was a bit more slow to propose a solution to third-party tracking cookies that seemingly no one wants. The Safari and Firefox browsers already block them by default, although Safari is much more aggressive.
However, Mike Schulman, Google's vice president of privacy and ad security, reiterated in a suspension on the blog that the company still plans to phase out third-party cookies in Chrome.
In addition, Google will make some changes to the "why this ad" button that allows you to see why certain advertisements they target you and not someone else. The new “about this ad” plugin will additionally provide the verified name of the advertiser so you can tell which companies are targeting you and understand how Google collects your personal data for ads. We will see the new addition to ads towards the end of the year.
The company also announced an extension for the Chrome browser. It is currently in alpha phase, and is called Ads Transparency Spotlight. This extension should provide "detailed information about all the ads you see on the web".
Users will be able to see details about ads on a particular page, see why ads are appearing on a page, and a list of other companies and services on the page, in detail data websites or content delivery networks.