How to prepare for the Google Chrome 80 update (SameSite)

Owned by Aleksandra Klusińska (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Feb 06, 2020
2 min read

Problem

As part of Google's initiative to improve privacy and security on the web, Chrome uses a new model for cookies with their Chrome 80 update since February 2020. This update changes the way Chrome handles cross-site cookies. It now prevents cookies that are not explicitly labeled as "SameSite" and "secure" from being accessed. Here we explain how to configure your Mapp products accordingly.

 

Mapp Acquire is using cookies to segment users based on their behaviour on the website. In order to ensure the accurate segmentation of users, please follow the steps below in order to align with the new Chrome settings:

How to check whether you need a new pixel version

  1. Creation date of tracking pixel
    Check if your pixel has been created after 25 October 2019. In Acquire, open Data Collection > Tracking Pixels to see the Tracking Pixels overview:

     

If yes: You're done! You don't need to check or change anything else.
If no: Proceed to step 2.

 

2. https domain
Check if you are using an HTTPS connection for the Acquire request. You can use the Developer Tools within your browser (as an example, see here how to use them in Firefox). To find the Acquire request, search for "flx1" in the Network tab of the Web Developer tools of your browser:

In case you are not using HTTPS, please update your tag as described in the following section.

 

How do I get the new pixel (tag)?

In Mapp Acquire, navigate to the export section of a pixel and paste the updated tag on the website. The updated tag can be identified with https in the URL in combination with the &fs=1 parameter.  

Technical details

We have changed the tag to force SSL cookies. This means that all future cookies that are dropped with this new tag, are unable to interact with cookies stored with the old tag on non-secure (http) pages.