In response to the CMA’s report today on the implementation of Google’s Privacy Sandbox Commitments, James Rosewell, co-founder of the Movement for an Open Web, said:
“Here we are, nearly three years since the CMA originally agreed the Commitments with Google, and it seems we are no closer to a satisfactory solution. There are still a litany of unresolved competition, privacy and product concerns that Google, the CMA and the ICO seem unable to resolve. The first line of the CMA’s assessment highlights that Google will be advantaged by Privacy Sandbox ‘given its access to first-party data’. This is a fundamental concern that has been flagged from day one and it’s still outstanding. How long does the industry need to be held hostage at the whim of a monopolist? We need to chalk this anti-competitive effort up as a failure and move to guarantee interoperability for all.
“One area which is being touted as progress is in Google’s so-called Governance Framework. This is being pushed as a solution to many ills but it’s clear that it’s a weak veneer of self regulation that does little to calm real-world concerns. The proposed structure is little more than Google’s marking its own homework as it oversees its monopolistic dominance of the market. Without true independence and broad scope Google’s so-called Governance Framework will just be more window dressing that serves to prolong the Privacy Sandbox ‘distraction tax’. Helpfully, I and others at the W3C produced Success Criteria for improved digital advertising in 2020 that can guide this work.
“Google’s pullback from Cookie deprecation is also still unresolved. The CMA recognise that Google will need to amend their proposal for user choice screens. They and the ICO maintain the position from their May 2021 statement that it is for individual data controllers to decide how they adhere to laws. The sooner regulators require Google, and their partner in crime Apple, to guarantee interoperability across different service operators the better. We’ll continue to make that case.”
“Given Google’s alleged claims to improve privacy, we are also eager to hear when Google will commit to stop using individuals’ identity to share cross-site information from marketers (aka Customer Match) to improve the monetization of its O&O inventory?
To speak to someone from MOW for further response, please contact us at [email protected].