The Topics API is Google’s latest replacement for the third-party cookie and aims to create a privacy-focused, interest-based advertising model. But what is Topics? How does it work? And why was it created? Here, we answer these questions and many more

As one of the world’s biggest players in digital advertising, all eyes are on Google and what its plans are for a successor to the third-party cookie. The outcome will play a huge part in reshaping a multi-billion-dollar industry with an uncertain future.

While Google’s initial alternative was the Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC), the tech giant has since ceased its development in favor of an advertising system called Topics.

In this article, we examine what the Topics API is, how it works, and why it was created. We’ll also take a closer look at FLoC, exploring the criticism it received and the reasons why it was abandoned.

What is Google Topics?

Topics is Google’s