Best Alternatives to Third-Party Cookies
If you are wondering what will replace cookies or what are the alternatives to third-party cookies, then you have come to the right place. Allow us to offer some insights on the topic to curb your curiosity.
Web browsers and government agencies have taken action in response to privacy concerns over the manner in which third-party cookies capture user data and then transmit that data to third parties. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) laws have, beginning in 2018, established guidelines for the explicit collection of user permission for targeted advertising inside the European Union.
Similarly, the California Consumer Privacy Act provisions are designed to safeguard the information of users located inside the state. The browsers Safari & Firefox have already restricted cookies from third-party websites, while Chrome is scheduled to begin blocking cookies around the year 2024.
As a consequence of this, the advertising sector has been doing research and development on some substitutes or alternatives to third-party cookies.
According to findings from a recent study conducted by the Internet Advertising Bureau or the IAB, publishers stand to lose up to ten billion dollars in advertising income if third-party cookies are discarded and cookie alternatives are brought into play. Moreover, according to Google, publishers are at risk of losing between fifty and seventy percent of their income if they do not adopt a new strategy regarding audience data.
However, there is a sigh of relief. Advertisers and publishers are able to target consumers using ID solutions, contextual targeting, and cohorts, instead of using cookies thanks to some alternatives to cookies.
In the latter half of 2023, Chrome has already begun blocking cookies from third-party websites. But what will replace cookies? Here, we examine the same cookie alternative(s) along with the benefits and drawbacks of the same. Let’s learn more below.
List of the Alternatives to Cookies in 2024 and Beyond
Below, you will find a list of the five alternatives to third-party cookies that can be a potential replacement in the future. You can learn about these cookie alternatives and learn more about them. Let’s proceed further without any ado.
Alternative 1: Universal IDs- Potentially the Best Cookie Alternative
Here’s the first replacement in this list of the best alternatives to third-party cookies. A Universal ID is a one-of-a-kind user ID that is generated digitally and may be used to identify people based on their digital profile and monitor them across a variety of devices and platforms, such as applications, social networking platforms, websites, forums, and otherwise.
Such an ID is produced by integrating the information of a person, which may include an email address, browsing habits, some social network ID, any mobile phone number, and other related details.
The combination of these pieces of information contributes to the creation of a one-of-a-kind identifier for a particular person. Utilizing methods from predictive modeling, it is feasible to keep track of user preferences and prospective choices that may be made in the future. In this manner, publishers are able to give each user with advertisements that are more relevant to them thus, becoming one of the potential alternatives to cookies.
Also know: How to Clear Cache and Cookies on Browser (Windows PC
Alternative 2: The IDs for Mobile Advertising
The use of mobile advertising IDs is what comes into play here. You may not think this but advertising IDs have the potential to be one of the best alternatives to third-party cookies. Over the course of the last ten years, mobile advertising has reached its full potential as a result of the significant increase in the number of individuals who access the internet via their mobile devices. Therefore, if you are seeking cookie alternatives, you could also want to look for one that is designed for mobile advertising.
Mobile advertising IDs are one-of-a-kind identifiers that are uniquely allocated to each mobile device. These IDs are often kept by mobile operating system providers inside their customer data support systems.
The ability to identify consumers and target them on mobile websites and applications is made possible by their use. It is also possible to utilize this cookie alternative to get an understanding of the behavior of users and to provide tailored content based on that behavior. Additionally, you may utilize the data to enhance the overall user experience.
Alternative 3: Contextual Targeting
Here’s the next one of the alternatives to third-party cookies that can be used to deliver personalized ads. The practice of displaying advertisements to people in accordance with the content of the website that they are now viewing is referred to as contextual targeting. To do this, it is not necessary for it to monitor the online conduct of individuals or their personal information.
Algorithms are used in contextual advertising in order to evaluate the content of a website, identify the subject matter, and then show an advertisement that corresponds to the content. Hence, if a person is checking out a fashion blog, an advertisement for winter jackets or shoes would be deemed contextually relevant and would be featured on the website.
The use of video material, keywords, and content on web pages are all sets of contextual advertising that may be used by publishers and advertisers as alternatives to cookies. Personal information is not required for contextual targeting; however, first-party website cookies may be required in order to concentrate on certain audiences.
Alternative 4: Device Fingerprints
Device fingerprints are the set or collections of information related to the device of all users that includes the IP address, fonts, browser settings, screen resolution, & other information. Additional information may also be included and then be used as one of the alternatives to third-party cookies. The purpose of this is to generate a one-of-a-kind “fingerprint”, which can then be used to identify a particular user.
Browser fingerprinting is a part of this smart technique known as device fingerprinting. In this method, information that is created during the interactions of all device with a particular browser is gathered & utilized for the goal of tracking. Device fingerprints may be used by publishers for the purpose of targeted advertising since they provide valuable data into the behavior of consumers and the journeys that consumers take.
Because it does not rely on cookies, device fingerprinting can be a potential cookie alternative and be advantageous because it does not matter even if the user decides to allow or prevent cookies. This is a fantastic feature of device fingerprinting. It is not possible to erase fingerprints from a device even if the users delete their cookies. Additionally, stopping tracking does not prevent fingerprints from being stored on the device.
Also know: How to Clear Safari’s Cache and Cookies on Mac
Alternative 5: First-Party Cookies
First-party cookies are one of the most suitable alternatives to third-party cookies. These cookies were the first kind of cookies to be used for the purpose of remembering user information on the internet, and they are still in use today.
The primary distinction between first-party cookies & third-party cookies is that the latter is placed on a website by third-party trackers (or advertisers), while the former is placed by the website or its domain.
Users are only able to access first-party cookies when they visit a certain website by themselves. Only the website that is responsible for setting the preferences and browsing history may access the information that it keeps about the user’s preferences and browsing history inside the website. Thus, making is one of the finest and most reliable cookie alternatives.
Keep Calm, There’s More… Alternatives to Third-Party Cookies
In spite of the fact that many people consider the switch to alternatives to third-party cookies to be troubling, we see it as an opportunity for the industry to embrace a new age of advertising while simultaneously placing an emphasis on the privacy of consumers.
Achieving this equilibrium is of the utmost importance, and the solutions offered above are here to assist you in successfully navigating it.
At a time when the advertising technology business is moving toward a select few strategies to successfully promote the cookieless future, the future is becoming more user centric.
Within the context of a marketing environment that is undergoing fast change, these alternatives to third-party cookies will serve as your reliable partner by providing experience in data-driven identification solutions.
Establish communication with our team using the comments section below in order to learn more about these cookie alternatives. This will ensure that your marketing efforts continue to be successful in the future and in compliance with upcoming trends of privacy regulations, as well as get focused on a connection that is meaningful.
