Business
Cookies: Google is letting go of third-party tracking cookies, a vital cog in their advertising machine

Cookies: Google is letting go of third-party tracking cookies, a vital cog in their advertising machine

Third-party tracking cookies, which often "follow" internet users from website to website, are currently being phased out by Google Chrome, the world's most popular web browser, and this week Google went one step further promising not to replace third-party cookies with an equally invasive alternative.

No more hands in the cookie jar

The third-party cookie has been a core part of Google's advertising business for a long time and seeing as Alphabet (Google's parent company) made an astonishing $147bn in advertising revenue last year (80% of its total), it would be an unusual move for Google to do anything that would drastically diminish its ability to sell targeted ads.

So it's perhaps no surprise then that Google does have something in place to keep its ad business pumping, something they are calling the "Federated Learning of Cohorts", or FLoC if you want a new acronym to forget later.

Google says that FLoC "proposes a new way for businesses to reach people with relevant content and ads by clustering large groups of people with similar interests... [which] effectively hides individuals “in the crowd”". Sounds good. Then comes the most telling line of all; Google's tests of FLoC reveal that "advertisers can expect to see at least 95% of the conversions per dollar spent when compared to cookie-based advertising". So a pretty good replacement then.

If FLoC can replace third-party cookies, deliver similar results for advertisers, and give users a little more privacy then it really is a win-win-win — and kudos to Google if so. If in practice it doesn't work as well as in theory, and the $150bn advertising juggernaut falters substantially, then Googlewill really have an ethical dilemma on its hands.

More Business

See all Business
business

Starbucks issues apology after viral “Bearista” cup meltdown

Holiday cheer turned into chaos this week for Starbucks after the coffee giant’s new “Bearista” holiday cup sent fans into a frenzy. 

Dropped alongside its 2025 holiday menu, the $30 beanie-wearing glass bear tumbler sparked long lines, sellouts, and even in-store scuffles before Starbucks stepped in with an apology.

“The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations,” the company said in a statement to People. “Despite shipping more Bearista cups to our coffeehouses than almost any other item this holiday season, the Bearista cup and some other items sold out fast.”

Within hours of launch, frustrated fans flooded Starbucks’ social media pages and even store hotlines. Some customers waited in line before dawn and others said their stores received only a handful of cups. In one Houston location, the craze even turned physical, with police reportedly called to break up a brawl. Meanwhile, the cup is already reselling on sites like eBay, with listings topping $600.

“We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused,” Starbucks said. While in-store customers may be upset, investors seem happy about the viral hit, as the stock has risen over 3% on Friday.

If you’re still hoping for a Bearista at market price, that may not be on order: the chain didn’t disclose how many cups were made or whether a restock is planned.

business

Target tells workers to smile, wave, and greet shoppers if they come within 10 feet of them

Target just rolled out a new rule for store employees: smile, make eye contact, and greet or wave when a shopper comes within 10 feet — and if they get closer, within four feet, ask whether they need help or how their day is going, according to a new Bloomberg report.

Dubbed the 10-4 program internally, the rule mirrors rival Walmarts own 10-foot policy, formalizing behavior Target had previously only encouraged.

business

Monster surges on energy drink buzz, while Celsius sinks on distribution concerns

Shares of Monster Beverage climbed 5% after the bell on Thursday, and held most of those gains into early trading on Friday, following strong Q3 results.

The energy drink giant topped market expectations, with quarterly sales up 17% year over year to $2.2 billion and adjusted net profits growing 41% to $524.5 million — 11% ahead of Wall Street’s estimates. In the report, Monster highlighted its zero-sugar line and new product launches, with a stack of novel flavors already released this year, as bright spots.

During a call with analysts, Chief Executive Hilton Schlosberg said that the global energy drink category “remains healthy with robust growth,” The Wall Street Journal reported, adding that demand for more affordable caffeinated drinks is rising as coffee has become “really expensive.”

Meanwhile, rival beverage business Celsius saw shares fall as much as 23% on its Q3 results yesterday — despite beating expectations, with revenue jumping 173% — largely due to concerns about a change in the company’s distribution channel, as its newly acquired Alani Nu brand joins the PepsiCo distribution network.

Latest Stories

Sherwood Media, LLC produces fresh and unique perspectives on topical financial news and is a fully owned subsidiary of Robinhood Markets, Inc., and any views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of any other Robinhood affiliate, including Robinhood Markets, Inc., Robinhood Financial LLC, Robinhood Securities, LLC, Robinhood Crypto, LLC, or Robinhood Money, LLC.