Google Chrome will soon add 6 relevance and measurement APIs

The Privacy Sandbox initiative, a project led by Chrome, is introducing new key relevance and measurement APIs to Chrome Stable. This move is scheduled for the third quarter of 2023, with the spotlight focused on Chrome Stable 115 as the specific launch pad.

Unveiling the specifics. The APIs set to go live are:

• Topics: Generate signals for interest-based advertising without third-party cookies or other user identifiers that track individuals across sites.
• Protected Audience: Select ads to serve remarketing and custom audience use cases, designed to mitigate third-party tracking across sites. (This API was previously named FLEDGE. As we head towards launch, we’ve updated the name to better reflect the functionality.)
• Attribution Reporting: Correlate ad clicks or ad views with conversions. Ad techs can generate event-level or summary reports.
• Private Aggregation: Generate aggregate data reports using data from Protected Audience and cross-site data from Shared Storage.
• Shared Storage: Allow unlimited, cross-site storage write access with privacy-preserving read access.
• Fenced Frames: Securely embed content onto a page without sharing cross-site data.

The APIs will gradually roll out to all users. The Chrome team to closely monitor for issues to ensure a seamless integration.

Why we care. The six new relevance and measurement APIs will deliver tools to generate interest-based advertising signals and correlate ad clicks or views with conversions, all without the use of third-party cookies. This approach not only offers more privacy-focused methods for ad targeting and measurement but also prepares advertisers for a future where third-party cookies may no longer be viable.

Updated user controls. A major improvement with this launch is the addition of advanced Ad privacy controls. These controls offer users more granular management of the new APIs, providing an extra layer of privacy and giving users control over their browsing experience.

Here’s what the new user controls may look like:

Open application dates. To handle the expected developer interest, an enrollment process has been created. Starting in June, developers can apply for API access, which will be granted in August. This ensures a controlled and organized introduction of the APIs to the wider developer community.

General Availability (GA), as it’s referred to in the project timeline, implies that these APIs will become available by default in Chrome. However, immediate availability in all Chrome browsers is not guaranteed. The gradual rollout strategy will allow users to directly control the activation of these APIs.

Providing feedback. Feedback can be shared here. The Chrome team also has created this feedback form.

Read the announcement. Preparing to ship the Privacy Sandbox relevance and measurement APIs.