April 25, 2025  |  SIGN UP

Jim Cooper
DIGIDAY, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

It was certainly the most consequential news week in my almost five years at Digiday, with the news that Google – after about six years of tying the industry in knots over its peripatetic plan to deprecate third-party cookies in its Chrome browser – said never mind folks, we’re going keep cookies after all.

Wha? We’ve written hundreds of stories on what a cookie-less world would look like, from all the handwringing to impressive innovation on alternative forms of tracking. The vast amount of time, energy, money and intellectual capital spent on solving for the exit of cookies seems all for naught now.

The industry’s reaction? A cocktail of relief, fatigue and anger – sources used some pretty spicy language in the hours following Google’s blog post reveal. We’ll stay on this story and the possible remedies that will follow last week’s court ruling that Google had behaved monopolistically in the marketplace. Interesting time ahead for sure.

Read more below ICYMI – Happy Friday!

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LIFE BEYOND THE COOKIE

The industry’s response to Google’s third-party cookie U-turn: ‘endless millions have been wasted’

After more than half a decade of delayed timelines, government oversight and industry infighting, Google has fulfilled many expectations: a U-turn on third-party cookies in Chrome. And while expected by many, years of strategic planning now needs recalibration.

LIFE BEYOND THE COOKIE

Privacy fatigue is setting in after Google’s cookie U-turn. But the search for alternatives hasn’t stopped

The industry itself hasn’t hit pause. Chrome’s decision to stick with third-party cookies might have taken the urgency down a notch, but the broader shift away from those cookies hasn’t stopped. In fact, much of the ecosystem has already moved on.

SPONSORED BY A+E GLOBAL MEDIA

Why A+E Global Media is renewing its commitment to a digital-first strategy

Modern viewers increasingly gravitate toward streaming platforms or short-form content, expecting enhanced personalization beyond what traditional linear offerings provide. In response, major players, A+E among them, have leaned into innovation while evolving their business models to stay competitive in the modern media landscape and address these challenges.

THE CONFESSIONS

Confessions of a media buyer on Google’s third-party cookie U-turn and how it helped a ‘largely lazy’ industry innovate

In the latest edition of our Confessions series, in which we trade anonymity for candor, we talked with this buyer to get his take on the reversal, what it means for the industry and why, despite the headache, Google’s push to end cookies in Chrome likely made the ad industry innovate in ways that were needed.

SPONSORED BY VIAFOURA

Why publishers are turning to community for sustainable growth

With social referrals declining and AI reshaping traffic flows, publishers are turning to community to strengthen audience connections. Community members visit more often, stay longer and convert at higher rates. As audience strategies shift to owned channels, community is a valuable driver of engagement, loyalty and growth.

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THE CREATOR ECONOMY

As ‘recessionposting’ enters overdrive, creators are taking steps to dodge potential blowback

With Donald Trump’s currently-paused tariffs (save China) threatening to send the global economy into a recession, content creators of all kinds are chiming in, regardless of their usual lane.

DIGIDAY @ POSSIBLE

A look inside Possible’s content this year

While it has grown its audience sizably since year one — with an emphasis on attracting more marketers — the content too has widened its aperture, thanks to a cadre of diverse voices serving as its advisory council.

SPONSORED BY COPYLEAKS

Protecting copyright and IP in the age of AI

As LLMs like ChatGPT and Gemini reshape media workflows, they also raise legal and ethical concerns. A new guide explores how publishers are responding to AI-driven copyright risks and what strategies they are using to protect original content in a rapidly evolving landscape.