Q3 2023: Update from CMA & Google on Privacy Sandbox

The CMA has published its latest update report on the implementation of Google’s commitments, which aims to explain the progress made to date and highlight areas of focus where potential concerns have been raised - including through feedback from wider industry - and how they have been addressed.

It has also published Google’s latest report that covers progress on the Privacy Sandbox proposals; updated timing expectations; explanations of how Google has taken into account observations made by third-parties; and a summary of interactions between Google and the CMA. 

CMA publishes additional guidance

In addition to its regular quarterly report, the CMA has also published additional guidance for ad tech, publishers, and advertisers intending to test the Privacy Sandbox tools. The guidance provides detail on how market participants should use Google’s planned testing modes in Chrome in order to generate results which are comparable and informative to the CMA’s assessment.

With the CMA expecting most testing to take place from Q4 2023, it asks in the guidances for third-party market participants to submit results to the CMA by the end of Q2 2024 at the latest.

The CMA states: “We, as well as the Monitoring Trustee, would welcome continued engagement and in particular further input and feedback from interested third-parties – both specifically about your experiences of engaging with Google on testing and trialling of proposals, as well as the extent to which you feel that Google has taken account of views and suggestions as part of its development process.”

The relevant contact details are:

• CMA case team: [email protected] 
• Monitoring Trustee (including communications for the Technical Expert): [email protected]; [email protected]; and [email protected]  
• Google: Feedback - Chrome Developers