Google has decided not to scrap third-party cookies on its Chrome browser anymore. Here’s what that means.

Google has decided to keep third-party cookies in its internet browser after years of pledging to scrap them.

In an announcement on its blog, the company stated it would no longer be ‘deprecating third-party cookies.’ Instead, Google promised to introduce a new browser feature that “lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing.”

There is currently no clear timeline for when these changes will take place.

Everyone has encountered a website banner asking if they’ll accept cookies, but what does it all mean? In the context of the internet, cookies are small text files saved in your internet browser (such as Chrome, Firefox, or Safari) or device when you visit a website.

They are used to identify your browser and/or device and track certain aspects of your online behavior. The idea is that they help a website gather information about you to make the website more useful for you — often including displaying ads targeted to you.