Chrome’s Privacy Sandbox: What Advertisers Can Still See

September 4, 2025
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You’ve probably noticed this before: you look at a pair of sneakers online, and the next day, ads for that same pair follow you around on YouTube, news sites, and blogs. That happens because of third-party cookies.

Now things are changing. Google Chrome, the most widely used browser, is phasing out cookies and replacing them with something called the Privacy Sandbox.

This raises an important question: what will advertising look like without cookies?

Let’s break it down in simple terms: what the Privacy Sandbox is, what data advertisers can still access, and how much control you have.

What is the Privacy Sandbox?

The Privacy Sandbox is Google’s system for balancing two things:

  1. Giving users more privacy by reducing tracking.
  2. Keeping online ads functional so websites can earn revenue.

Instead of allowing every website to track you across the internet, Chrome itself now manages what information gets shared. Advertisers receive only limited, general data.

You’ll still see ads, but they should feel less personal and less intrusive.

Why is Google Making This Change?

There are two main reasons:

  1. Many people are uncomfortable with the feeling of being tracked everywhere online.
  2. Governments and regulators are putting pressure on tech companies to protect user privacy.

At the same time, ads pay for most of the free content on the web. If tracking disappeared entirely, many sites would struggle to survive. Google’s solution is to stop tracking individuals directly and instead group people into broad interest categories.

The Topics API Explained

The key part of the Privacy Sandbox is the Topics API. Here’s how it works in plain language:

  1. Chrome looks at the kinds of websites you visit.
  2. It assigns you a few general categories, called “topics,” based on that browsing.
  3. Each week, Chrome shares a small set of those topics with advertisers.

Examples:

  1. If you read recipes, your topic might be Food and Drink.
  2. If you watch gadget reviews, your topic might be Consumer Electronics.
  3. If you browse travel blogs, your topic might be Travel and Tourism.

Advertisers don’t see your full browsing history. They only see these broad categories. That way, ads remain somewhat relevant but less tied to your personal activity.

What Advertisers Can Still See

Here’s what advertisers continue to get under the Privacy Sandbox:

  1. Topics: A few broad interest categories provided by Chrome.
  2. Page context: Ads can still match the content of the page you are viewing.
  3. Basic device information: Things like your browser type or screen size, so ads display properly.
  4. Aggregate reporting: Data on how many people clicked an ad, without detailed individual profiles.

Here’s what advertisers no longer get:

  1. Tracking cookies that follow you from one site to another.
  2. Detailed browsing profiles built from every site you visit.
  3. Personal identifiers such as your email address or name.

In short, advertisers see a wider, more general view of audiences instead of precise, individual tracking.

Can You Turn It Off?

Yes, Chrome gives you some control over these features. To check:

  1. Open Chrome settings.
  2. Go to Privacy and Security.
  3. Select Ad Privacy (or Privacy Sandbox).

From there, you can:

  1. Turn off Topics, so Chrome doesn’t assign you interests.
  2. Turn off Ad Measurement, so advertisers get fewer stats.
  3. Block site-suggested ads.

This is a simpler way to manage ad settings compared to manually blocking cookies.

Before and After: A Quick Example

  1. Before (with cookies): You check out a winter jacket online but don’t buy it. For days, ads for that exact jacket appear everywhere you go.
  2. After (with Topics API): You check out the same jacket. Instead of following you around, Chrome adds you to a broad category like Outdoor Gear or Fashion. Later, you see ads for jackets or boots, but not the exact item you viewed.

The goal is to keep ads relevant without feeling like you’re being tracked step by step.

Conclusion

The Privacy Sandbox is Google’s attempt to change how online ads work. Cookies are being phased out, but advertising isn’t disappearing. Instead of detailed personal tracking, Chrome now shares only broad interest topics.

For users, this means less of the “creepy” follow-you-around advertising. For advertisers, it means adjusting to a world with less personal data.

And remember, you can manage or disable these features in Chrome’s settings.

The internet is changing, but you still have the right to understand and control how your data is used.

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