Google’s Cookie U-Turn Doesn’t Change the Future: It’s Already Cookieless

In case you missed it, Google recently made headlines by reversing its long-promised plan to eliminate third-party cookies from Chrome. Yes, cookies are staying. Again.

But for anyone paying close attention to the realities of digital advertising, this announcement feels less like a major course correction — and more like a footnote.

The truth is, the future was already headed in a different direction.

Cookies Were Already Crumbling

Even before Google’s latest change of heart, cookies were steadily losing ground. Safari and Firefox had locked them out years ago. Connected TV (CTV), mobile in-app, digital audio — none of these environments ever depended on cookies in the first place.

And cookies haven’t exactly aged well. As Steven Ohrnstein, Viant’s SVP of Platform & Analytics, notes:

Cookies were built for a simpler time — when the internet meant one device, one browser, one dial-up connection. Today, the average U.S. household has 17 connected devices. Cookies? They’re about as effective as using a flip phone to stream Netflix.

In fact, as of mid-2024, cookies appeared on only about 33% of bid requests.

Even before Google made it official, the market was already evolving — and thriving — beyond them.

First-Party Data: The Smart Bet All Along

While Google retools its plans, the smartest marketers have been investing elsewhere: in first-party data.

According to Digiday research,

• 71% of publishers say first-party data drives the best ad revenue outcomes today.
  
• By 2026, that number is expected to jump to 85%.
  

Why? First-party data is reliable, privacy-compliant, and owned directly by the brand or publisher — no third-party middleman required. It enables better targeting, sharper measurement and, crucially, a more durable strategy as privacy regulations tighten.

At Viant, we’ve made it easier for advertisers to securely activate first-party data with our Data Platform, which helps brands target audiences, measure outcomes, and unlock audience insights — all without leaning on yesterday’s technology.

(Yes, that’s a nod. But hey, when you’ve built something future-proof, you’re allowed a polite mention.)

CTV and the Rise of Cookieless Channels

Meanwhile, cookie-free channels are booming. CTV, mobile app, DOOH, digital audio — none of these environments ever waited around for a cookie to load.

CTV in particular is a star performer. As Steven Ohrnstein points out, CTV often delivers higher incremental lift compared to channels still chasing last-touch cookie attribution.
Yet many brands still throw budget at cookie-based strategies simply because it’s the easier (read: outdated) measurement path.

The opportunity? Brands willing to rethink attribution — and embrace cookieless CTV strategies — are seeing better brand building, better customer acquisition, and ultimately better performance.

If your media plan still hinges on third-party cookies, you’re basically trying to win a Formula 1 race on a pogo stick.

Despite Google’s Announcement, the Shift to Cookieless is Accelerating

Google’s reversal might have slowed the headlines, but it hasn’t slowed the innovation.

As Digiday reports, advertisers are still pressing forward:

• Testing cookieless identity solutions
  
• Expanding contextual targeting strategies
  
• Building stronger publisher partnerships based on authenticated audiences
  

And for good reason.
Third-party cookies aren’t just a technical liability — they’re a reputational and regulatory one, too. Savvy marketers understand that privacy-first solutions aren’t just better for consumers; they’re better for business resilience.

Final Takeaway: Adapt Now, Benefit Sooner

Sure, Google’s cookies live to see another day.
But building a marketing strategy around them now is like building a treehouse on a melting ice floe.

The real future of digital advertising belongs to marketers who:

• Prioritize first-party data
• Invest in cookieless measurement
• Embrace omnichannel activation across CTV, mobile, and more
• Diversify with durable, privacy-safe identity solutions

The future isn’t coming. It’s already here — and it doesn’t run on cookies.