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To enhance alignment with European privacy and consumer protection laws, Google announced the upcoming release of Google Consent Mode v2.
Anyone using Google services to track the online behavior of users in the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) must implement Google Consent Mode v2 by March 2024 to maintain access to the ad personalization, remarketing, and measurement features.
In this guide, learn what Google Consent Mode v2 is, how it differs from the previous version, and how to implement it on your website easily.
Table of Contents
What Is Google Consent Mode v2?
Google Consent Mode v2 is an updated mechanism that allows websites to read and adjust Google Tags based on a consumer's consent preferences regarding personal advertising and analytics trackers.
The updates to Google Consent Mode better align the way consent preferences are communicated to websites with new and existing EU privacy laws like the Digital Markets Act DMA.
It ensures websites using Google Services obtain adequate consent from EU visitors, adjusting how Google Tags behave based on how consumers interact with a compatible consent banner.
Google Consent Mode v2 Implementation Date
Google requires all websites serving ads to or monitoring the behavior of EU/EEA users to implement Google Consent Mode v2 since March 2024.
Google Consent Mode v2 Key Features
The key feature of Google Consent Mode v2 assists websites with supporting the collection of granular consent, a requirement under the GDPR.
Granular consent means the person you're obtaining consent from fully understands each specific piece of data being collected from them and how it's used.
It introduces two additional parameters to Google's consent mode API:
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ad_user_data: This string sets consent for sending user data to Google for the purpose of advertising.
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ad_personalization: This string sets consent for personalized advertising.
How Do I Implement Google Consent Mode v2?
To implement Google Consent Mode v2, you must use a consent banner on your website.
If you use a Google-certified consent management platform (CMP), the banner will meet all guidelines automatically before the March deadline, and CMPs help manage user consent signals for Google tags, similar to other GDPR consent management platforms and cookie consent banner solutions.
Ensure you've enabled Consent Mode in your banner settings, and follow the instructions communicated to you by your CMP provider. For easier setup, use google tag manager as your tag manager, or deploy a free, GDPR-compliant cookie consent banner that integrates smoothly with your existing tags.
Otherwise, if you build and maintain your own banner, you must use manual implementation, including consent initialization, so consent mode signals and other consent signals are set before page load completes and before any Google tags fire, following GDPR cookie compliance implementation best practices.
You can then use either basic consent mode or advanced consent mode for implementation. In basic mode, data collection is prevented until consent granted, and if consent denied, no data is sent. This basic mode setup requires a manual restart so full measurement data collection begins only after consent is granted. Advanced mode sends minimal data while waiting for user consent.
What If You Don't Implement Google Consent Mode v2?
If you don't implement GCM v2 before the March deadline, Google Services like Google Analytics 4 and Google Ads won't capture any data about your new users from the EU or EEA, leading to weaker conversion data and less reliable conversion tracking.
Without this data, the effectiveness of your advertising strategies could be severely impacted. Without Consent Mode, Google Ads audience building may also be disabled, which can reduce the effectiveness of google's advertising.
How Is Google Consent Mode v2 Different From v1?
Google Consent Mode v2 is an updated version of the original consent mode and differs by introducing the two additional parameters to Google's consent mode API, ad_user_data and ad_personalization
Laws like the GDPR and DMA regulate how entities can collect, process, and use data from EU/EEA website users, shaping user consent choices to meet data privacy regulations and support data protection for targeted advertising or analytics, which in turn drives the need for robust GDPR compliance tools and software.
By obtaining their opt-in consent, websites can legally use their information to deliver ads or track their analytics behaviors online.
But if those users deny consent and consent denied signals apply, Google Consent Mode v2 uses conversion modeling to estimate total conversions without tracking individual identities. This can support more accurate full measurement data once users have granted consent, while still respecting user consent preferences.
The additional parameters introduced from GCM v2 better align the technology with the legal conditions for consent described in the GDPR and the DMA.
Google Consent Mode v2 vs. Google Additional Consent Mode
Google also recently rolled out another technical specification, called Additional Consent, which is not the same as Google Consent Mode versions 1 or 2, despite the similar names.
Additional Consent is meant to be used alongside the Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF), a voluntary framework from the European Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB Europe), and understanding what the IAB Transparency & Consent Framework is can clarify how these specifications work together.
Implementing Additional Consent allows ad publishers, registered CMPs, and Google partners to obtain user consent in tandem with the TCF for companies not yet registered with IAB Europe's Global Vendor List, and many organizations start by running a free website cookie checker to understand their current tracking landscape.
Does ComplyDog Support Google Consent Mode v2?
With our new rebrand and overhaul of the platform, ComplyDog's GDPR compliance software and consent management platform fully supports Google Consent Mode v2, with consent settings for Google tags and built in consent checks where relevant through Google Tag Manager integrations.
Google Consent Mode v2 helps websites better align their data collection protocols for targeted advertising and analytics with EU privacy laws, helping teams manage consent states and enable consent mode in line with European Economic Area requirements.
Because of its advanced data-mapping technology, website owners can respect their users' consent preferences without compromising the integrity of their data sets. Once a user interacts with the consent banner, the platform can apply those choices and update consent states accordingly, and these same principles of granular, auditable consent also underpin GDPR-compliant email marketing campaigns and GDPR email marketing consent practices.
Overall, these efforts help create a safer online environment for businesses and consumers.
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