One of the biggest topics in data right now is the elimination of third party cookies. It shows not only that people are more concerned about their privacy, but also that companies now need a new way to get information on their website viewers/customers. It’s important to track the shift of the online world to be more privacy focused and what new changes and laws are coming because of that shift. 

First things first, what are cookies? Cookies are used by companies/websites to track and record information about their customers and people who view their site. This in turn helps companies identify their customers and tailor advertisements to them. So when that annoying pop up appears at the bottom of the screen asking you to accept the site’s cookies, you are agreeing to allow the company to collect certain information about you. That is also why you’ll see advertisements for that new car you’ve been researching or the patio set you just bought (creepy!). We often joke that our phones are listening to us – not totally sure they aren’t, but that’s for another day. 

Don’t worry, these cookies are not long for this world. In fact, research shows that by 2022 they could be gone altogether. The shift towards a more privacy-centric world has advertisers worried and customers happy. The advancements in computing have meant that users weren’t put first. This has been turned on its head and now the focus has become the consumer. For example, in Apple’s latest update, users now have the ability to decline the option of apps and websites to track their data. This has been a big point of contention in the big tech world out of fear of how to track customers, but this idea of putting users’ privacy first will be good for Apple’s customer retention. As Google and other tech companies eliminate the use of cookies, customers will feel more secure in using these companies’ sites and products. 

The private sector is not the only area further seeking to provide online consumers protection. In Europe, there is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to protect people’s information. If violated, it can result in stiff fines. This is in effect for the EU and until recently, there has really only been one law in the United States that comes close to the GDPR – California’s California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) which protects consumers in California online. The newest addition to the bunch, is Virginia’s Consumer Data Protection Act (CDPA) in March of this year (2021). This law “establishes a framework for controlling and processing personal data in the Commonwealth” (As seen on Virginia’s Legislative Information System).

With these regulations in place, companies either have to comply with them or suffer the consequences. Companies striving to make privacy a priority are the ones who are going to be securing their customers for the long-term. People want to know their data is safe and not being used against their permission or for more than they granted permission for; especially in the age of ever increasing cyber attacks and breaches. In a world that feels so uncertain and precarious, knowing their personal data is becoming safer is a precious security blanket. Eliminating the use of third party cookies is really a power move on the publicity front and will hopefully make the online world a more secure place. So, if privacy for your customers isn’t a priority, it should be.

It’s no surprise that without cookies, the marketing world is going to have to come up with new ways to gain insight into who their customers are and how to specifically market to them. That is precisely where analytics comes in. You don’t need third party cookies to tell the kind of customer to advertise to, we can do it for you. Companies obtain massive amounts of data on their customers (with their permission) that can be used. Social media scraping and data mining can be applied to discover the ideal customer. Making sure to abide by any local and federal (and even international) laws on privacy is very important, but that does not mean you can’t use your data in order to understand how to bring in more business. Data and it’s power isn’t going away, just the “uncool” way of collecting it. With the help of analytics and some subject matter experts, you can still make use of your data to advertise to your customers.