Goodbye cookie requests, hello IP protection in Chrome Incognito mode

Google announced the abandonment of a separate pop-up consent window for third-party cookies in Chrome and introduced a new feature — IP Protection in Incognito mode, which should limit the tracking of users via IP address.

As part of the Privacy Sandbox initiative, Google decided not to implement a separate request for third-party cookies, instead leaving users the opportunity to change the settings manually in the privacy section. This was the result of long discussions between developers, publishers, regulators and advertising market participants.

Instead, the company is investing in improving protection in Incognito mode, where third-party cookies are blocked automatically. In the third quarter of 2025, Chrome will receive a new IP Protection feature — it will hide the user’s real IP address from third-party sites, making it impossible to track across platforms.

• While Apple Safari and Mozilla Firefox have been blocking third-party cookies by default since 2020, Google has stuck to its old approach for longer, citing conflicts of interest as a browser, advertising platform, and search engine. Despite its stated plans to phase out cookies by 2024, the company has refused to eliminate them entirely.
• At the same time, Google is facing pressure from US regulators. The US Department of Justice has already proposed a breakup of the company, including a forced sale of the Chrome browser. OpenAI has even expressed interest in acquiring Chrome if that happens.

Google is trying to find a balance between user privacy and its advertising business, introducing new features such as IP Protection rather than radical changes. This approach could make Chrome competitive with Firefox and Safari in the eyes of privacy-conscious users. But amid increased regulation, the company will have to find new models of interaction with the industry and users.