UK competition regulator says Google promises better privacy measures

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UK competition regulator says Google promises better privacy measures

LONDON, Nov 26, Reuters -- Britain's competition regulator said on Friday it had secured better commitments from Alphabet's Google on changes to user-tracking cookies in its browser, including the U.S. tech giant extending the time all pledges would last for six years.

The Competition and Markets Authority CMA has been investigating Google's plan to cut support for some cookies in Chrome, because it is concerned that the move could impede competition in digital advertising.

In June, Google proposed making changes to its plan, called Privacy sandbox, including giving the CMA an oversight role.

Google has said that the commitments will apply to the world.

The CMA said Google had made new pledges to address some remaining concerns, including offering commitments around reducing access to IP addresses and clarifying internal limits on the data that it could use.

CMA Chief Executive Andrea Coscelli said: "We have always been clear that Google's efforts to protect users privacy cannot come at the cost of reduced competition. If accepted, the commitments we have obtained from Google become legally binding, promoting competition in digital markets, helping to protect the ability of online publishers to raise money through advertising and safeguarding users' privacy. Google has stated in a blog that it is determined to make sure that the Privacy Sandbox is developed in a way that works for the whole ecosystem. The CMA said it would consult on the new commitments until December 17th.