The Refresh News: April 28 - Google Backs Off, Apple Gears Up

When the going gets tough, Big Tech finds a way to shift the blame. This week’s news? Google quietly backs out of cookie deprecation, fights for control in court, and Apple slowly makes its ad empire move.

In todays news we cover:

• Google waves the white flag on cookies — After five years of chaos, Google scraps its opt-out prompt. The Privacy Sandbox isn’t officially dead, but it's definitely on life support.
• What we learned — We gave Google too much power. We waited too long to call BS. But it did push the industry to build something better—and AI might be the next frontier.
• Search monopoly trial kicks off — DOJ proposes radical remedies: selling Chrome, banning default deals, even forcing Google to license its search data. Google’s own proposals? Pretty weak.
• Apple Ads rises quietly — With hardware revenue stalling, Apple is rebranding its ad business and prepping for a bigger move. Think: proprietary data, closed-loop measurement, and Taboola partnerships.
• A new reality — Google’s cookie exit may change nothing and everything. And Apple might be the next walled garden advertisers can’t ignore.

In closing: RIP to your cookie POV decks. You deserved better.

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