When you visit a website, that site will save a tiny text file (a “cookie”) on your computer to remember your login session or shopping cart. These are known as First-Party cookies, and they are essential for the web to function. However, most modern websites also contain hidden tracking code from advertising networks (like Facebook or Google Ads). These networks inject “Third-Party cookies” into your browser.
Third-party cookies allow advertisers to follow you across the internet. If you look at a pair of shoes on an online store, a third-party cookie remembers that action, and you will suddenly see advertisements for those exact shoes on news websites and social media feeds for the next month. To protect your privacy and stop this cross-site stalking, you must completely block third-party cookies in your browser settings.
How to Completely Block Chrome Third-Party Cookies
You must dive into the Privacy and Security settings to restrict how advertisers track you.
- Open the Google Chrome browser.
- Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner and select Settings.
- In the left-hand navigation sidebar, click on Privacy and security.
- In the main window, click on Third-party cookies.
- You will see three options regarding how Chrome handles tracking data. By default, Chrome often selects “Block third-party cookies in Incognito.”
- To maximize your privacy across all websites permanently, click the radio button next to Block third-party cookies.
- Directly underneath this option, ensure the toggle switch for Send a “Do Not Track” request with your browsing traffic is turned On.
Chrome will immediately enforce the new policy. You can safely close the Settings tab. From now on, when you visit a website, only that specific website is allowed to remember who you are. The advertising networks operating in the background will be completely blocked from leaving tracking beacons on your hard drive.