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Consent Mode is a component of a website or application’s data collection architecture which will “translate” the consent preference of a consumer, as indicated via a Consent Management Platform, into a signal readable by Google tags loading on the same page.
Based upon the consent signal indicated by Consent Mode, Google tags will automatically modify their behavior according to the consent signals provided.
Consent Mode v2 is an updated version of Consent Mode that Google introduced in November 2023. Consent Mode v2 introduces two new consent signals: ‘ad_user_data’ and ‘ad_personalization’ in addition to the v1 consent signals related to cookie storage options.
‘ad_user_data’ and ‘ad_personalization’ are signals that instruct Google platforms if/how collected user data can be processed for advertising. They allow Google tags to align with stricter advertising privacy norms and regulations and support Google in their compliance obligations under such legislation, such as the Digital Markets Act.
In March, DMA will come into force, which means organizations with visitors in the EEA region will need to adopt Google Consent Mode to use data for advertising use cases. It is likely this will become a global requirement by the end of 2024 for all measurement use cases, as well.
“Advanced” Consent Mode: With this implementation, Google tags fire for all user interactions regardless of the consent selection (i.e. no conditional logic for tags to fire). With Consent Mode in place, the tags will automatically modify their behavior based upon the Consent Mode signals present to restrict cookie usage and/or data processing according to the consent preference of the consumer. “Cookieless” data collection does result for all interactions, regardless of the consent status.
Google Consent Mode does not replace any existing consent management platforms, but works alongside them. Consent Mode is a way to register the preferences users have made when they consent to various processing activities by platforms like Google Ads, Floodlights, and Google Analytics 4.
Advanced features and modeling can also be enabled with Google Consent Mode, but the architecture requirements often call for additional compliance discussions.
“Basic” Consent Mode: With this implementation, Google tags only fire when consent has been granted. No tags fire and no data is collected for users that have not consented.
For each website, Consent Mode requires the addition of a “default” and “update” command, part of which is likely handled by your consent management platform. For mobile applications, the implementation is similarly the addition of a couple new components.
Consent Mode is a component of a website or application’s data collection architecture which will “translate” the consent preference of a consumer, as indicated via a Consent Management Platform, into a signal readable by Google tags loading on the same page. Based upon the consent signal indicated by Consent Mode, Google tags will automatically modify their behavior according to the consent signals provided.
Beginning on March 6, 2024, Consent Mode signals must be present for data collected via Google tags (Google Analytics, Floodlights, Ads tags) to be used for targeted advertising use cases (i.e. audience creation and usage) in Google platforms. The requirement is 100% for data from visitors from the European Economic Area (EEA); it is unclear if this requirement will apply globally in the future but as best-practice we recommend implementing it on all global digital properties.
It is likely Consent Mode signals will need to be present also for data to be used for measurement use cases later in 2024 (alluded to by Google but no firm date as of now).
“Basic” Consent Mode: With this implementation, Google tags only fire when consent has been granted. No tags fire and no data is collected for users that have not consented.
“Advanced” Consent Mode: With this implementation, Google tags fire for all user interactions regardless of the consent selection (i.e. no conditional logic for tags to fire). With Consent Mode in place, the tags will automatically modify their behavior based upon the Consent Mode signals present to restrict cookie usage and/or data processing according to the consent preference of the consumer. “Cookieless” data collection does result for all interactions, regardless of the consent status.
Let’s start by stating the requirement to have Consent Mode v2 implemented by March 6, 2024 to continue using data from EEA users for advertising purposes (targeting) across Google platforms. If your organization is using tactics such as remarketing using audiences created in Google Analytics or Google Marketing Platforms, you’ll realize value from Consent Mode by maintaining that ability.
Incremental value can also be realized from Consent Mode. The expected value to be realized will depend upon the implementation type: “Basic” or “Advanced”.
Consent Mode “Basic” Implementation
With the Consent Mode “Basic” implementation, data is only collected from users that have consented to the given tracking. Using this data, Google will include Conversion Modeling in reports across their platforms.
Consent Mode “Advanced” Implementation
With the Consent Mode “Advanced” implementation, data is collected as normal from consenting users AND “cookieless” interaction data is collected in the event of a user denying consent. Google uses observable interaction data from consenting users in addition to the “cookieless” interaction data from non-consenting users to improve Conversion Modeling AND to include Behavioral Modeling in Google Analytics 4.
Modeled conversions use data that doesn’t identify individual users to estimate conversions that Google is unable to observe directly. Modeling is meant to help provide accurate conversion attribution without identifying users. This applies to dimensions such as conversion totals, attribution path, and conversion values. By including modeled conversions, Google is able to offer more accurate reporting, optimize advertising campaigns, and improve automated bidding.
From Google’s documentation: “Google’s models look for trends between conversions that were directly observed and those that weren’t. For example, if conversions attributed on one browser are similar to unattributed conversions from another browser, the machine learning model will predict overall attribution. Based on this prediction, conversions are then aggregated to include both modeled and observed conversions.”
Modeled conversions in Google Analytics 4 properties began including paid and organic channel modeled conversions around the end of July 2021. Core reports and Explorations where you can select event-scoped dimensions will include modeled data. These reports automatically attribute conversion events across channels based on a mix of observed data where possible and modeled data where necessary.
See Google’s documentation for examples of available modeling for online conversions.
Modeled data is included in UI reports for Google Analytics 4 and Google Ads platforms. Modeled data is not available to be exported (including via direct BigQuery connections).
Behavioral modeling is made available in Google Analytics 4 when the “advanced” implementation of Consent Mode is implemented and minimum traffic threshold limits are met in a Google Analytics 4 property. The behavioral modeling uses machine learning to model the behavior of users who decline analytics cookies based on the behavior of similar users who accept analytics cookies.
Google Analytics 4 integrates modeled data and observed data directly in your reports for eligible properties. Modeled data is included in reports when using the “Blended” Reporting Identity. Modeled data will not be included when using other Reporting Identity types in Google Analytics 4. Modeled data is only included in UI reports. It is not available to be exported (including via direct BQ connections).
The “requirement” to implement Consent Mode is not related to a compliance requirement for an advertiser’s own organization. Rather, Consent Mode is required to be implemented in order to support Google’s compliance requirements under the Digital Markets Act. Specifically, the DMA requires that gatekeeper platforms (in this case Google) may no longer track end users outside of the gatekeepers’ core platform service for the purpose of targeted advertising, without effective consent having been granted. For Google platforms, Consent Mode supports the standardized method via which users’ consent for targeted advertising is communicated to Google for them to conduct the associated processing.
It’s helpful conceptually to think of Consent Mode as a means of “translating” consent signals as provided by the user via a Consent Management Platform into a format usable by Google tags loading on your site. Consent Mode itself is only relaying the consent status on the page. It is not sending any data; rather, it is updating “instructions” relative to consent which Google tags will use when executing to modify their behavior (if they execute at all per your tagging architecture).
An order of operations for how this process works:
Consent Mode is not a Consent Management Platform (CMP). Rather, it works in tandem with your Consent Management Platform to provide the necessary consent signals to Google for Google platforms to process provided data.
A Consent Management Platform manages the consent experience for the user on a website or application and maintains records of consent from the user. The CMP will then provide various technical indications in the browser that can be used by other technologies running to modify their behavior based upon the user’s consent selection.
Consent Mode “reads” from the consent signal provided by the CMP and then “translates” the consent signal into a specific format necessary for Google platforms implemented on the same page. Google platforms then have native support to “read” from the consent signals as provided via Consent Mode to adjust their behavior according to the consent indications provided.
Yes, if data is being collected via Google SDKs on your mobile application then applicable Consent Mode requirements apply.
If Consent Mode is not in place, standard reporting and measurement use cases are not impacted. The March 6, 2024 deadline for Consent Mode to be implemented is related to the usage of user data from EEA users for purposes of targeted advertising. If Consent Mode is not in place, data from these users will not be eligible for use in audience creation following the March 6, 2024 deadline. Google has mentioned, however, that measurement use cases and reporting may be impacted later in 2024. No confirmation or dates have been provided at this time.
If Consent Mode is implemented, reporting in Google platforms can be enhanced through the use of modeling. Modeling features “unlocked” by having Consent Mode in place are Conversion Modeling and Behavioral Modeling.
See the specific sections related to Conversion Modeling and Behavioral Modeling for details on each.
The current requirement is that Consent Mode v2 must be implemented, with necessary consent given, in order for data from users in the EEA to be processed for advertising use cases in Google platforms.
If you do not process data from users in the EEA then, at least at the current time, functionality you are using in Google platforms should not be impacted. However, with the rising tide of global privacy regulations it is recommended for all global digital properties to implement Consent Mode.
Aside from the compliance-related requirements for Consent Mode, the functionality also can provide organizations with a more straight-forward method for controlling various privacy-focused features across Google products, such as managing user requests to opt-out of targeted advertising in markets such as the United States. For this reason, the use of Consent Mode as a part of a privacy-centric data collection architecture is recommended.
Consent Mode v2 is an updated version of Consent Mode that Google introduced in November of 2023. Consent Mode v2 introduces two new consent signals: ‘ad_user_data’ and ‘ad_personalization’ in addition to the v1 consent signals related to cookie storage options.
‘ad_user_data’ and ‘ad_personalization’ are signals that instruct Google platforms if/how collected user data can be processed for advertising. They allow Google tags to align with stricter advertising privacy norms and regulations and support Google in their compliance obligations under such legislation such as the Digital Markets Act.
Consent Mode v1 only provided parameters related to a user’s consent for cookie access and storage. Consent Mode v2 adds additional parameters related to how data collected can be processed by Google platforms for advertising use cases.
Google has strict requirements under the EU’s Digital Markets Act which comes into force in March 2024. They are using Consent Mode as part of the mechanism to receive indications of consent to process EEA user data for advertising. For Google to lawfully continue offering this functionality, Consent Mode is required. There is no opportunity for pushback barring a major technical overhaul of all Google platforms which is highly unlikely.
The “requirement” to implement Consent Mode is not related to a compliance requirement for an advertiser’s own organization. Rather, Consent Mode is required to be implemented in order to support Google’s compliance requirements under the Digital Markets Act. Specifically, the DMA requires that Gatekeeper platforms (in this case Google) may no longer track end users outside of the gatekeepers’ core platform service for the purpose of targeted advertising, without effective consent having been granted. For Google platforms, Consent Mode supports the standardized method via which user’s consent for targeted advertising is communicated to Google for them to conduct the associated processing.
Beginning on March 6, 2024, Consent Mode signals must be present for data collected via Google tags (GA, Floodlights, Ads tags) to be used for targeted advertising use cases (i.e. audience creation and usage) in Google platforms. Consent Mode signals allow for Google tags to update data sent with an indication of the user’s consent status in a standard format for Google platforms. Google is using the indication of the user’s consent to aid in their compliance requirements under the DMA to ensure data processed for targeted advertising has a proper consent basis.
The “requirement” to implement Consent Mode is not related to a compliance requirement for an advertiser’s own organization. Rather, Consent Mode is required to be implemented in order to support Google’s compliance requirements under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Specifically, the DMA requires that gatekeeper platforms (in this case Google) may no longer track end users outside of the gatekeepers’ core platform service for the purpose of targeted advertising, without effective consent having been granted. For Google platforms, Consent Mode supports the standardized method via which user’s consent for targeted advertising is communicated to Google for them to conduct the associated processing.
It is helpful conceptually to think of Consent Mode as a means of “translating” consent signals as provided by the user via a Consent Management Platform into a format usable by Google tags loading on your site. Consent Mode itself is only relaying the consent status on the page. It is not sending any data, rather it is updating “instructions” relative to consent which Google tags will use when executing to modify their behavior (if they execute at all per your tagging architecture).
An order of operations for how this process works:
Consent Mode is not a Consent Management Platform (CMP). Rather, it works in tandem with your Consent Management Platform to provide the necessary consent signals to Google for Google platforms to process provided data.
A Consent Management Platform manages the consent experience for the user on a website or application and maintains records of consent from the user. The CMP will then provide various technical indications in the browser that can be used by other technologies running to modify their behavior based upon the user’s consent selection.
Consent Mode “reads” from the consent signal provided by the CMP and then “translates” the consent signal into a specific format necessary for Google platforms implemented on the same page. Google platforms then have native support to “read” from the consent signals as provided via Consent Mode to adjust their behavior according to the consent indications provided.
Consent Mode itself does not collect any information. Consent Mode is functionality that is running on the page to read the consent indication as made by your Consent Management Platform and “translating” the indication to a format readable by Google tags that are running.
Google tags executing and collecting information will continue to collect information as configured. The presence of Consent Mode will result in additional data points which indicate the consumer’s consent selections in a standard format required for Google to process the data upon collection.
Consent Mode itself does not collect any information. Consent Mode is functionality that is running on the page to read the consent indication as made by your Consent Management Platform and “translating” the indication to a format readable by Google tags that are running.
If you have configured Google tags to execute on the page, they may collect unique identifiers including Google ID. What identifiers are collected will depend upon the consent status of the user as indicated by the Consent Mode implementation and your configuration of Google tags (Google Analytics 4, Google Ads, Floodlights).
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