In February 2020, Google will roll out an update to their Chrome browser that changes how third party cookies are handled. This update, which was announced in May of last year, will provide a safer and more secure user experience when browsing content on the web, but it could have negative impacts on those websites/systems that are not prepared.
The update specifically uses a feature called “SameSite Cookies” to restrict the ability for third-party to use cookies to track users across sites. Any site which uses third-party cookies will need to label how the cookie can be used - and unlabeled cookies will not work, preventing content from loading properly or at all. One of the biggest impacts for users will be visiting websites that use iframes to embeds content/tools hosted by a third-party.
What does this mean?
For users who update to the newest Google Chrome browser (version 80+), you may find that as you browse content on the web, you will occasionally run into situations where the content will not load or you will get an error saying that you do not have access to the page.
What can I do about it?
For now, the best workaround is to access the impacted site content using a different browser (Firefox, Safari) until they have updated their SameSite cookie handling.
How will this impact Canvas and the external applications (LTIs) integrated with Canvas?
Instructure (Canvas) and their third-party partners have been very proactive preparing for this update. However, there may be some tools that are impacted by this update. If you find any third-party tools are not functioning for you, try using a different browser and then contact the vendor or our Canvas @ Yale Support team at canvas@yale.edu.
NOTE: If you find other Yale systems experiencing problems, please contact the ITS Help Desk.
Additional Information
If you are interested in learning more about this change, please check out the following links:
- SameSite Cookie Changes in February 2020: What You Need to Know - Chromium Blog - February 3, 2020
- Improving privacy and security on the web - Chromium Blog - May 7, 2019
- SameSite cookies explained - web.dev - May 7, 2019 (updated January 6, 2020)
- Developers: Get Ready for New SameSite=None; Secure Cookie Settings - Chromium Blog - October 23, 2019