Last year, Google surprised the ad-tech industry by announcing the discontinuation of its plans to deprecate third-party cookies from Chrome. This decision, while definitely unexpected, left many wondering why would Google suddenly reverse its stance after a five-year-long effort to eliminate cookies? To understand this move, we must first take into consideration the pivotal role cookies have played in advertising.
Third-party cookies remain one of the most powerful tools in digital advertising, enabling precise targeting, audience segmentation, and measurement. For years, they’ve been a cornerstone of ad-tech, assisting in generating billions in revenue across the industry. However, despite its efficacy, their widespread adoption has also sparked increasing concerns regarding user privacy and the collection of sensitive data.
While Google has temporarily halted its plans to deprecate cookies, their eventual phase-out remains inevitable. Other browsers, such as Safari and Firefox, have already introduced policies reducing third-party cookie usage, signaling a clear industry shift toward privacy-first solutions.
At the same time, global privacy regulations, such as the GDPR and CCPA, are reshaping how user data is collected and processed. Even Google has reinforced this direction through its ongoing investment in Privacy Sandbox, a suite of tools designed to replace cookies with privacy-focused alternatives.
For publishers, this highlights the need to prepare. The eventual deprecation of cookies is not a question of if but when. Fortunately, ever since Google’s first announcement to deprecate cookies, several innovative third-party ID solutions have emerged as a powerful privacy-first alternatives, allowing website owners to continue delivering personalized ad experiences while still complying with data regulations, thereby future proofing their ad revenue.
Choosing the right third-party ID solution
When choosing the right third-party ID solution for your website, it’s important to consider these two factors: audience and data infrastructure —these aspects will serve as key reference points in determining the most suitable approach for your website.
If your website has a robust base of authenticated users, adopting a deterministic third-party ID solution would certainly be the ideal choice. Deterministic IDs rely on personally identifiable information (PII), such as hashed email addresses or log-in data, to generate accurate user identifiers. This approach allows for precise audience targeting and measurement, making it an excellent choice for websites with a wide number of registered users.
For websites with more limited first-party data or that have a majority of visitors be unregistered, then a probabilistic third-party ID solution is your go-to. Probabilistic IDs ditch the need for PIIs and make use of aggregate signals, such as device types, browser configurations, and IP addresses, to estimate user identity. While less precise in comparison to deterministic IDs, this approach does allow for greater scalability, making them ideal for reaching broader audiences.
Both of the above-mentioned third-party ID models come with their own advantages and limitations, particularly when it comes to managing authenticated traffic and scalability. Hybrid ID models address these challenges by combining the strengths of deterministic and probabilistic approaches, and enabling publishers to utilize PII when available and rely on contextual signals when it’s not.
An all-in-one solution
At Nitro, we take pride in supporting the unique needs of each publisher within our network of 500+ gaming and entertainment websites. Through End User consent and the use of cutting-edge tech from our line-up of advanced third-party ID solutions, our platform generates and assigns unique IDs (Unified IDs) to each website visitor. Unified IDs enable us to enhance the publisher experience through tailored services, advertisements, and content, all while staying aligned with rapidly evolving privacy standards.
Our framework of third-party IDs is built on partnerships with industry-leading services, including:
Deterministic IDs:
Probabilistic IDs
Hybrid IDs:
With such a comprehensive inventory of advanced third-party ID solutions and commitment to strict privacy compliance, we empower publishers to deliver personalized, private-centric experiences while unlocking their full revenue potential. As the industry shifts toward a privacy-first future, Nitro ensures our network is equipped to adapt, thrive, and lead in this new era of advertising.
Nitro is dedicated to reinventing website monetization for the gaming industry. Our ad tech platform combines uncompromised user experience and nitro-speed revenue and service with Net 7 Payouts, same-day support and the industry’s fastest ad loading.