ADID and the Authenticated Web or .. are Cookies even necessary any more?

There has been huge debate re: tracking cookies - those small pieces of text that are stored on your computer and allow (one way or another) advertisers to track your digital movements through the web.

Privacy advocates and the revenue hungry EU are forever demonizing this technology.

However:

• 50% if internet users are on Facebook (and therefore authenticated) 
• 10% (possibly more) of Google Traffic - is by authenticated users (thanks to nasty Gmail)
• A significant number  newspapers are moving to PayWalls (you need to be authenticated!)
• All e-commerce sites at some point require authentication
• Apple - your are pretty much permanently signed into iTunes if you have an Apple Device;
• Skype - Banks etc... all authenticated.

So what is happening?

It is simple - no internet company wants to "leak" data.

For instance Google used to provide website owners - (in a string) the very search terms the user entered before arriving on your site. Actually - very useful information. This information - however is drying up - as Google moves all traffic to https://.

They argue that https:// is great for their users.. but really they are moving an iron curtain around digital data. There will be no trail... you will have to pay for your own website data...!

So cookies - won't matter to the big players.

However - it does shed light on Google Plus - and Gmail... who cares if they are crappy - they are there to create a rival - authentication service.. to that of Facebook's.