The web of 2024 is characterized by changes that go beyond mere graphic redesign. Three main axes structure the major evolutions: a European regulatory framework that imposes new technical constraints on websites, revised accessibility standards that alter front-end work, and a repositioning of user tracking strategies following Google’s abandonment of the Privacy Sandbox project.
AI Act Regulation and Transparency Obligations on Websites
The Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, known as the AI Act, came into effect on August 1, 2024. This text directly targets artificial intelligence systems that interact with the public on the web: integrated chatbots, navigation assistants, text or image content generators.
The main obligation concerns labeling. Any content generated or modified by AI and presented to users must clearly indicate its origin, for example via a “generated by AI” label or a dedicated icon. The only exception pertains to cases where the artificial nature of the content is already evident to an average user.
For web development teams, this regulation adds a layer of concrete compliance. It is no longer sufficient to integrate a chatbot or an illustration generator on a site: it is necessary to document the models used, manage deepfakes, and provide visible information mechanisms. Those who wish to keep track of the evolution of these technical subjects can visit planetxtech.org for regular updates on web innovations.
This regulatory dimension transforms AI compliance into a full-fledged technical skill in web projects, just as GDPR did for personal data management a few years earlier.
WCAG 2.2: What Changes in Web Accessibility
The WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) became an official recommendation from W3C on October 5, 2023, with a gradual adoption throughout 2024. In parallel, the European standard EN 301 549 has integrated these criteria, making them enforceable for public sector websites and, progressively, for the private sector within the European Union.
Among the most significant new requirements for front-end development:
- The “Focus Not Obscured” criterion mandates that the element receiving keyboard focus is never completely obscured by another component (cookie banner, sticky menu, modal). This requires rethinking the stacking of CSS layers on many sites.
- The “Dragging Movements” criterion requires a non-drag alternative for any drag-and-drop interaction, which affects visual builders, product configurators, and sorting interfaces.
- The “Target Size (Minimum)” criterion sets a minimum clickable area size, directly impacting navigation menus, action buttons, and forms on mobile.
These requirements are no longer merely “nice to have.” The European Accessibility Act will come into effect in 2025, with potential financial penalties. Accessibility becomes a legal compliance criterion, not just a marketing argument.
End of Google’s Privacy Sandbox and User Tracking Strategy
Google has announced the abandonment of its Privacy Sandbox project for Chrome, which was intended to replace third-party cookies with less intrusive targeting mechanisms. This reversal has direct consequences for marketing strategy and web development.
Third-party cookies remain active in Chrome for an indefinite period. For companies that had begun migrating to alternative solutions (cohorts, Topics API), this turnaround requires maintaining two tracking architectures in parallel: one based on traditional cookies for Chrome, the other on cookie-less mechanisms for Safari and Firefox, which already block them.
Practical Consequences for Websites
User journey tracking remains fragmented depending on the browser. Analytics tools and advertising platforms must deal with heterogeneous signals, complicating the measurement of campaign performance.
On the development side, the trend is shifting towards the collection of first-party data (user accounts, forms, direct interactions) rather than cross-site tracking. Companies investing in their own customer knowledge mechanisms, through connected spaces or loyalty programs integrated into the site, find themselves better positioned against this regulatory and technical instability.
Generative Artificial Intelligence and Web Content Production
Beyond the legal framework, generative AI is changing the production chain of websites. Text and image generation tools are now integrated into CMS, visual editors, and e-commerce platforms.
The most widespread use concerns the generation of product sheets, meta-descriptions, and content variants for multilingual SEO. Some sites also use generative models to create custom illustrations, reducing dependence on stock image libraries.
The main trap remains editorial quality. Content generated without human proofreading degrades the user experience and exposes the risk of non-compliance with the AI Act (lack of labeling). Web teams that make the best use of these tools employ them as production accelerators, with systematic validation before publication.
The web of 2024 is defined less by visual trends than by structuring constraints. The AI Act, WCAG 2.2, and the abandonment of the Privacy Sandbox reshape the technical framework within which each site must operate. These three topics condition architectural, design, and marketing strategy choices for the coming months.
