June 2, 2026
Digital Information World recently published an article featuring Garrett Johnson, Associate Professor of Marketing and Shunto Kobayashi, Assistant Professor of Marketing, discussing that internet cookies remain a critical source of revenue for digital publishers and content creators.
Analyzing 200 million ad impressions worldwide, researchers found that removing third-party cookies reduced publisher advertising revenue by about 35%, while privacy-focused alternatives recovered only a small fraction of those losses.
“In our study, removing third-party cookies reduced publisher ad revenue by about 35 percent—and about 66 percent in the European Union—showing that cookies still play a major economic role in supporting the open web,” added Johnson.
The study highlights the ongoing challenge of balancing online privacy with the economic model that supports free digital content, as regulators and technology companies continue to explore alternatives to traditional web tracking.
