Glossary/Privacy and identity/Third-party cookies
What are third-party cookies and where do they still work?
How third-party cookies work, where they are already blocked, and what publishers use instead.
Written by Samhub with the help of AI·Updated 13 Oct 2026·3 min readThird-party cookies are cookies set by a domain other than the website the reader is visiting, often by ad tech vendors, which lets them recognize the same browser across sites.
Where they still work
| Browser | Third-party cookies |
|---|---|
| Safari | Blocked by default |
| Firefox | Blocked by default |
| Chrome | Still supported; Google dropped its plan to remove them |
Even where they work, consent rules and ad blockers mean many readers cannot be tracked this way.
What publishers use instead
First-party data
Data from your own readers, under your own domain.
Logins and IDs
Contextual targeting
Targeting by content, for every reader.
16 pages for publishers, with a checklist for data, programmatic and direct sales.
Addressability is the real measure
The question is not whether cookies survive in one browser, but how many of your readers you can recognize. Growing that share protects revenue whatever browsers decide.
Addressability at Stampen Media after moving its reader data into one layer with Samhub.
Frequently asked questions
They are already blocked in Safari and Firefox. Chrome still supports them.
Yes, under EU rules, when used for advertising.
First-party cookies are set by the site you visit and only work on that site.
First-party data, logins, universal IDs and contextual targeting.
Related terms
Cookies set by the site the reader is visiting.
Google’s cookie replacement project for Chrome.
The share of your audience you can recognize and target.
A shared identifier that can replace third-party cookies.
Reaching people who already showed interest.
Data bought from providers who collected it elsewhere.
One EU-based platform to collect, unify and enrich your first-party data, installed with one script.
- A walkthrough with your own data
- Built for publishers and media houses
- 30 minutes, no commitment
Turn your audience data into more revenue
Get the Media Monetization Playbook: how media houses turn first-party data into higher CPMs, data deals and direct sales. With checklists for every step.
