German media companies want the European Union to prevent Google from removing third-party cookies from its Chrome browser, claiming the move will eat into critical ad revenues for news organizations.
Axel Springer and hundreds of other publishers, advertisers, and content providers claim that Google parent Alphabet is breaking European antitrust laws with its plan to gradually phase out cookies from its signature web browser.
If Google were to follow through on the plan, it could result in revenue losses of up to 70% for media entities that rely on the search engine’s cookies to generate clicks through analyzing user preferences.
The complaint was filed with EU antitrust regulators in Brussels on Monday, according to the Financial Times.
While Google claims the move is being done to safeguard users’ privacy, the publishers claimed that Google will still be able to use alternative methods to collect data that will benefit its own advertising service while leaving competitors in the lurch.
“Publishers must remain in a position where they are allowed to ask their users for consent to process data, without Google capturing this decision,” according to the complaint.
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