WTF are private state tokens in Google’s Privacy Sandbox?
This article is part of a special Digiday editorial series to catch you up on the basics of Google’s phaseout of third-party cookies. More from the series →
The third-party cookie’s deprecation — and broader crackdown on cross-site tracking practices, such as device fingerprinting — comes with side effects. One side effect is losing the means for companies to combat bot traffic. To account for this consequence, Google’s Privacy Sandbox features a proposal for fighting fraudulent traffic called Private State Tokens.
Private State Tokens effectively have sites that are able to authenticate site visitors be the ones to vouch for those visitors’ authenticity so that they can be trusted by other sites. As broken down in this explainer video, it’s akin to a friend recommending a therapist to another friend — albeit with the web browser providing a privacy-preserving means for passing on that recommendation.
More in Marketing
TikTok courts CMOs with first-ever Collective, as it targets bigger budgets
In its first CMO-focused event in the U.K. TikTok showcased how easy it is for brands to create content. The event is only part of the platform’s sharper 2026 commercial strategy: targeting larger, long-term ad budgets, courting independent agencies, and positioning itself as a serious competitor to Meta in 2026.
Amid competition for sponsors, top sports clubs are investing in social media operations
Sponsors used to want hospitality access and pitch-side banners. Now they want access to a club’s social following.
Rising gas prices could be the straw that breaks consumer spending
The rising fuel costs have experts predicting a rapid ripple effect on the U.S. retail industry.