Google may ditch ‘cookies’ as online ad tracker

Google is developing an anonymous identifier for advertising, or AdID, that would replace third-party cookies as the way advertisers track people’s Internet browsing activity for marketing purposes.

The AdID would be transmitted to advertisers and ad networks that have agreed to basic guidelines, giving consumers more privacy and control over how they browse the Web, the person said, on condition of anonymity.

The person did not want to be identified because Google has not made the proposal public — although the company plans to reach out to industry participants, government bodies and consumer groups in coming weeks and months.