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This is the saga that has kept the digital marketing world on edge for 4 years. Will Google, yes or no, eliminate third-party cookies from Chrome?
After several delays, Google announced in July 2024 a change of course: rather than an authoritarian removal, Chrome will offer a "User Choice Experience". Specifically, a pop-up will ask users if they want to be tracked across the web or not.
Don't be mistaken: the result will be the same. If we look at what happened with Apple's iOS14.5 update (where 90% of users refuse tracking), we can predict a massive decline in third-party data on Chrome by 2026.
Add to that Safari (which already blocks everything) and Firefox, and the conclusion is clear: The third-party cookie is dead as a reliable standard.
At A-Track, we are preparing our partner agencies for this new paradigm. This is not the end of tracking; it is the beginning of a new era based on First-Party Data and Server-Side.
Third-Party Cookies vs First-Party: The Vital Reminder
To understand the urgency, we must distinguish between the two:
Third-Party Cookie: Placed by an external domain (e.g., facebook.com or criteo.com) on your client's site. It allows tracking users from site to site.
Status: Blocked by Safari, Firefox, and soon massively rejected on Chrome.
Consequence: End of classic "Retargeting" and affinity audiences.
First-Party Cookie: Placed by the site itself (e.g., votreclient.ch). It is used to remember the cart, language, or visitor ID.
Status: Still alive, but its lifespan is limited by browsers (ITP) if it is not secured.
The Impact on Your Clients' Campaigns
If your agency does not act, here is what awaits your performance reports in 2025:
Explosion of Customer Acquisition Costs (CPA): Without third-party cookies, Facebook and Google's "Lookalike" algorithms become shortsighted. They target less effectively, so clicks become more expensive.
Broken Attribution: You will no longer know if the sale came from the ad seen on YouTube three days ago or from the newsletter. Everything will be attributed to "Direct" or "Brand Search".
End of Capping: You risk showing the same ad 50 times to the same person because you can no longer store the information "has already seen the ad".
The Winning Strategy: Regain Control (Server-Side)
The answer to the end of third-party cookies is not technological; it is architectural. You must become the owner of the data.
This is where Server-Side Tracking becomes essential.
1. Transform Third-Party Data into First-Party
With a Server-Side infrastructure (via Stape.io), you place cookies from your own subdomain (data.votreclient.ch). In the eyes of browsers, these are "home-made" (First-Party) cookies. They are therefore allowed, and their lifespan is extended.
2. Collect Declarative Data (Email, Phone)
Since we can no longer track users via an anonymous cookie, we must recognize them via stable identifiers: email or phone. This is the role of Enhanced Conversions (Google) and CAPI (Facebook/LinkedIn).
The Agency of Tomorrow advises its client on collecting emails (Lead Magnet, Newsletter) to feed these algorithms.
3. Google Privacy Sandbox: The Complex Alternative
Google is developing APIs (Topics, Protected Audience) to allow "anonymous" advertising targeting in Chrome. This is a very complex technology that will be managed automatically by Google Ads but will require rigorous technical implementation on the site (which we manage via GTM).
The Swiss Context: An Opportunity
In Switzerland, we have a strong culture of privacy (nFADP, Banking Secrecy). Paradoxically, the end of third-party cookies is a chance. It forces us to adopt cleaner, more respectful, and more robust practices.
Agencies that tell their clients: "We anticipated the market, we are moving to Server-Side to secure your performance" gain enormous credibility compared to those who suffer the change.
A-Track Expert Advice
Don't wait for Chrome to deploy its choice pop-up. Safari already accounts for over 50% of mobile traffic in Switzerland (iPhone). Your clients are already losing half of their targeting capabilities if they are on classic client-side tracking. The Server-Side migration is not for 2026; it is to recover today's iPhone traffic.
Be the visionary agency, not the outdated agency
The transition to First-Party Data is the most important digital project of the decade. Don't face it alone.
A-Track supports Swiss agencies in the transition to Server-Side Tracking.
