Alphabet Inc.’s Google calls the new advertising system Topics
Google will let advertisers target
people on the web based on a broad set of interests, retreating from an earlier
plan that was lambasted over privacy and anticompetitive concerns.
Alphabet Inc.’s Google calls the new advertising system
Topics. It will replace cookies by the end of next year as a means of tracking
users on Google’s Chrome browser, the company said Tuesday.
Topics will categorize people based on areas of
interest, such as “talk radio” or “tennis.” The topics are defined based on the
last three weeks of browsing activity.
The new tool is designed to preserve privacy by
giving a less specific log of websites people visit, while enabling advertisers
to reach segmented groups of potential customers, Google said. Chrome users
will be able to remove individual topics associated with them or turn off the
tracking option entirely, the company said.
Online advertising is set to undergo
its biggest transformation since the advent of targeting. Apple Inc. has been implementing tools to prevent users
of its products from being tracked, placing pressure on internet companies that
rely on targeted ad revenue.