If your business uses Google Ads for remarketing in the EEA/UK you need to upgrade to Google Consent Mode V2 by the 6th of March 2024. If your business is not using the Ads for remarketing, you are not mandated to upgrade to v2, but will be missing on capturing conversion data.
As digital marketers, it’s imperative to stay ahead of the evolving landscape of data privacy and user consent dictated by the EU regulation. Google’s latest update to Consent Mode marks a significant shift in how businesses collect and use data, especially for those targeting customers in the European Economic Area (EEA) and the United Kingdom (UK). Here’s what you need to know about the transition to Google Consent Mode version 2 (v2) and its implications for your marketing strategies.
The Essence of Google Consent Mode v2
If Google Ads’ remarketing features are not a part of your current strategy in the EEA/UK, you might question the necessity of upgrading to Google Consent Mode v2. However, overlooking this update means missing out on valuable conversion modelling data in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Google Ads, which could be detrimental in the long run.
The Genesis of Consent Requirements
The journey began in 2002 with the EU’s ePrivacy Directive, imposing a legal mandate for websites in the EU to display cookie consent banners. Many websites opted for a simplistic approach, offering users a single option to “Accept all,” thereby bypassing genuine consent for data usage in advertising. This practice, though beneficial for marketers and platforms like Google, is considered by the EU regulatory bodies as often disregarding user preferences and eventually clashed with legal standards.
The Rapid Evolution of Data Privacy Laws
Data privacy regulations have evolved swiftly, prompting businesses to adapt to the diminishing availability of marketing data and ensuring compliance with new laws.
Introducing Google Consent Mode v1
Launched in 2020, the initial version of Google Consent Mode aimed to balance user privacy with data collection for analytics and advertising on Google’s platforms. It introduced two consent states, analytics_storage and ad_storage, governed by user consent via cookie banners. This system allowed for data collection in GA4 and Google Ads, conditional on user approval.
Upgrading to Google Consent Mode v2
With the impending Digital Markets Act (DMA), Google has enhanced Consent Mode to comply with stricter data privacy regulations. Version 2 introduces additional consent states—ad_user_data and ad_personalization—to refine how user data is collected and used for advertising, including remarketing.
The Imperative of Compliance
Adhering to Google Consent Mode v2 is crucial for businesses aiming to utilize EEA/UK user data for advertising. Non-compliance by March 2024 will hinder the efficacy of Google Ads campaigns, particularly in remarketing and display advertising, due to restrictions on data collection. Additionally, it might result in penalization due to not being in line with legal compliance.
Basic vs. Advanced Consent Modes
Google Consent Mode offers two configurations: Basic and Advanced. The Basic mode requires explicit user consent for data sharing, while the Advanced mode collects non-personal data before consent, allowing for broader data capture and utilization in conversion modeling.
Leveraging the Benefits of v2
Compliance with Google Consent Mode v2 not only ensures legality but also enables businesses to benefit from machine learning-driven conversion modeling. This approach utilizes observable data and historical trends to enhance insights into conversion paths, even as we move towards a cookieless internet.
Action Steps for Marketers
To comply, marketers must ensure their cookie banners are configured correctly, offering clear opt-in and opt-out options, detailing tracked data, and securely storing user consent. For those using cookie banner providers or platforms, it’s essential to verify compatibility with Google Consent Mode v2 and make any necessary updates.
To ensure your cookie banners are aligned with the necessary standards, follow these guidelines:
• Equal Visibility for Choices: Both the opt-out (“no”/”reject”) and the opt-in (“yes”/”accept”) options must be equally prominent. This means they should be immediately visible, with identical size and color, to prevent any bias toward clicking “accept”.
• Transparency and Control: Your cookie banner must clearly inform users about the tracking activities and offer them the ability to decline cookies they prefer not to engage with. The specific data being tracked should be detailed in your cookie policy, which must be accessible directly from the banner.
• Consent Recording: It’s crucial that the cookie banner retains a record of user consent. This feature is vital for compliance verification by data privacy regulators.
• Platform Compliance Check: For those utilizing third-party cookie banner providers or cookie management platforms (e.g., CookieYes, Cookie Script, Cookiebot), verify if their solutions are compatible with Google Consent Mode v2. Determine whether updates are applied automatically or if a manual intervention (such as through Google Tag Manager) is necessary. Ensure that Consent Mode activation is an option within the banner settings.
In-House Solutions: If your cookie banner is developed internally, confirm that it allows users to opt out or modify their cookie preferences easily. It must adhere to Google’s EU User Consent Policy, as well as comply with other relevant privacy regulations like GDPR, the ePrivacy Directive, and the DMA.
Conclusion
The deadline for implementing Google Consent Mode v2 is the 6th of March 2024. Marketers must act swiftly to ensure their data collection practices are compliant, safeguarding their ability to collect and utilize data for advertising in a privacy-conscious world. Embracing this change is not just about legal compliance; it’s a step towards fostering trust and transparency with your audience.
A useful list of cookie consent management platforms that integrate with Google Tag Manager: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9976101
Author: Dario Šipoš, ph.d.
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