Last summer, Apple’s Safari browser made tracking users more difficult by deleting third-party cookies after one day. The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which goes into effect in May, states that people’s personal data can only be used if individuals give companies permission. Since several ad tracking firms have long relied on user data without getting user permission, the GDPR could lead to significant drawback on the usage of third-party cookies because companies that fail to comply with the law will face a stiff penalty.
“Between Safari cookie retention policies and GDPR, the pool of usable cookies will shrink dramatically,” said Eric Berry, CEO of native ad platform TripleLift.
While marketers’ reliance on cookies is on the decline, it will still stick around for a while, according to Berry. Safari is responsible for less than 20% of internet traffic on desktop/laptop and mobile, according to Net Marketshare, and the GDPR applies only to EU users. This means people in the US who use Google Chrome aren’t affected by the recent moves that are pressuring marketers to use cookies less often.