Google is rolling out Topics-based tracking for Chrome

Google has slowly been rolling out its Enhanced Ad Privacy functionality in Chrome. This technology allows websites to serve ads based on your browser history — unless you manually turn it off.

Why we care. This new approach to serving targeted ads stems from the interest-based targeting proposal known as Topics (part of the Privacy Sandbox Project). Topics last year replaced FLoC (Federated Learning of Cohorts) as the preferred way of allowing ad targeting. As we wrote at the time:

“The Topics API will share a limited number of topics of interest, based on the user’s recent browsing browsing history, with participating sites without involving external servers. Users will be able to review topics assigned to their profile and remove them. There are no plans at this stage to allow them to add topics.” 

FLoC is off the table as Google switches to targeting by Topics

Some are worried that this alternative to cookie tracking might still invade their privacy. More and more people are speaking up, saying they don’t like the idea of their online actions being watched for ads. Once cookies are finally deprecated in Chrome, Topics will be one of a limited number of alternatives for brands that remain in intent on reaching relevant audience segments.

The roll-out. People started receiving popups about this new feature in July following the release of Chrome 115 — which supports Google’s Topics API . However, recently, an increasing number of people have reported seeing the popup because those who don’t like Chrome mining their browsing history for Google’s ads have been speaking out.

Dig deeper: Google’s Topics API provokes a range of reactions

The details. Instead of tracking your interests through cookies and the websites you visit, websites can directly ask Chrome what you’re interested in using its Topics JavaScript API.

Chrome figures out your interests by studying your browsing history. For example, if you often visit financial websites, Chrome might label one of your interests as “investing”.

When a website checks with the Topics API, it can learn about your interests and show you ads related to it, like bonds or retirement funds. This way, websites can get your online interests directly from your browser.

The technology has been rolling this out to a small percentage of Chrome users at a time. How Google asks for your agreement on this ad targeting depends on where you live and the local laws.

Read Google’s Topics API for Privacy Sandbox guide for more information.

Additional reporting by Kim Davis.