Google Drops FLoC For Topics API With 300+ Topics - Search Engine Roundtable

Surprise, surprise - Google has decided to drop FLoC (Federated Learning of Cohorts), its cookie alternative, with something called Topics API. The Topics API will use browsing topics into 300 or so categories. Yep, FLoC is a FLoP.

Here is a good summary from Ginny Marvin of Google:

2/4 The browser determines a handful of topics like Fitness or Travel based on the past week’s browsing history. When the user visits a participating site, the browser shares 3 topics, one from each of the past 3 weeks, with the site & its advtg partners to serve relevant ads.

— AdsLiaison (@adsliaison) January 25, 2022

4/4 What’s next: Chrome will launch a trial soon for website developers and the advtg industry to test & provide feedback on Topics. We’ll also have more to share on FLEDGE & other proposals later this week. Check out the Topics API technical explainer: https://t.co/YzTLgPJRue

— AdsLiaison (@adsliaison) January 25, 2022

Here is how Google described it "with Topics, your browser determines a handful of topics, like Fitness or Travel & Transportation, that represent your top interests for that week based on your browsing history." "Topics are kept for only three weeks and old topics are deleted," the company added. "Topics are selected entirely on your device without involving any external servers, including Google servers. When you visit a participating site, Topics picks just three topics, one topic from each of the past three weeks, to share with the site and...

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