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gemiusAudience study in Estonia – response to big tech's unpredictability

As of April 1, 2025, the gemiusAudience study in Estonia has adopted an improved methodology with the implementation of Gemius’s Joint Apocalypse Response Flex (JAR Flex). This initiative is designed to address potential disruptions caused by further restrictions on Third-Party Cookies (TPC). JAR Flex combines the use of TPCs, where they remain available, with First-Party Cookies (FPCs) to ensure the study’s continuity. By effectively restoring data previously reliant on TPCs, JAR Flex prepares the gemiusAudience study to adapt seamlessly to evolving browser limitations.

From April 1, 2025, Gemius has implemented its innovative Joint Apocalypse Response Flex (JAR Flex) in Estonia to address challenges posed by evolving restrictions on the use of Third-Party Cookies (TPC). This step comes in response to Google’s uncertain plans regarding TPCs and aims to safeguard the continuity of the gemiusAudience study while maintaining user privacy.

The move to phase out TPCs stems from the growing emphasis on enhancing internet user privacy. Many browsers, including Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox, have already discontinued support for TPCs, which were traditionally essential for identifying and evaluating online audiences. Although Google Chrome has delayed its timeline for eliminating TPCs, the specifics of its next steps remain unclear.

JAR Flex is Gemius's proactive solution, designed to ensure seamless functionality regardless of the status of TPCs. The methodology enables the continued use of TPCs where they are still available while leveraging First-Party Cookies (FPCs) in browsers that no longer support TPCs. The innovative approach relies on two key methodologies: Cookie Matching (CM) and Browser Numbers (BN).

  • Cookie Matching (CM): This method reconstructs cookie panels by analyzing the likelihood that FPCs from different domains belong to the same device. It then clusters these FPCs into communities, effectively replicating the functionality of TPCs.
  • Browser Numbers (BN): Using only FPCs and IP addresses, BN calculates site-centric estimates of browser usage, enabling accurate determination of Real Users (RUs).

By implementing JAR Flex, Gemius can directly estimate data from browsers that no longer support TPCs while continuing to utilize TPCs where available. Real User calculations will employ the EC Standard method, offering improved accuracy by incorporating site-specific ratios rather than relying on internet-wide benchmarks. This refined methodology better reflects the unique characteristics of individual sites.

Additionally, JAR Flex introduces the inclusion of visits with no identifiers in the gemiusAudience study. For greater accuracy in application results, the study will incorporate both VendorID and AdvertisingID in its estimations.

This strategic upgrade ensures that Gemius remains at the forefront of audience measurement solutions, adapting to the rapidly changing digital landscape while prioritizing user privacy and delivering precise, actionable insights.

Similar to Estonia, from May 1, 2025 JAR Flex has also been implemented in Latvia.

Gemius is an international research and technology company providing data, as well as advanced tools for digital and traditional marketing activities such as web analytics, online campaigns’ management and ad serving. The company offers comprehensive solutions for marketers, advertising agencies, publishers and e-commerce. Gemius is present on the market since 1999. The company is a member of IAB Europe and I-COM Global. The research conducted by the company are carried out in accordance with the principles of the international ICC/ESOMAR code.