With users becoming more and more concerned with privacy and data protection when browsing online, data privacy laws like the EU’s GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), ePrivacy Directive, and DMA have evolved to protect individuals’ rights. This has impacted the way companies do business online, as they must adopt responsible practices to comply with these evolving regulations.  

When users visit websites, they have the option to grant consent to having their personal data or browser stage accessed for data collection or not. Many users prefer not to grant consent, which leads to tracking issues for businesses.

Google Consent Mode is a crucial mechanism that helps businesses collect additional data signals from users who did not grant consent. These signals are then used to model conversions and visitor behaviour so that businesses can obtain identifiers without using unconsented data.

Ahead of the Consent Mode V2 official update in March 2024, this guide aims to provide a comprehensive overview of what Google Consent Mode is and how it works. We will also introduce Consent Mode V2 by going through its new features and implementation methods. 

What is Google Consent Mode?

Launched in September 2020, Consent Mode was developed by Google, and designed to help businesses manage the competition goals of both user privacy and business growth. It had become a necessity, due to the rise in public scrutiny regarding how companies were collecting and handling user data.  

Google Consent Mode gave businesses a way to retain as much user data as possible, while still complying with global user consent policies such as the EU’s GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the US. This is done by utilizing online scripts to capture as much data as possible to relay back to businesses.

Google Consent Mode adapts to site behaviour based on a user’s consent status – data is processed normally when users provide consent, while data for non-consenting users is anonymised and managed separately. Businesses can therefore tailor their data collection strategies based on user consent to balance user trust with actionable insights. 

How does Google Consent Mode work?

When a business decides to set up Consent Mode, it will change how certain signals work. A signal is – according to Google – session data from apps and sites that the search engine associates with users who have logged into Google accounts and switched on Ads Personalization. The associated data is then used to enable cross-device reporting to Google Ads.

Consent Status Signals: These signals are sent from every page a user visits when they are in Consent Mode. They also trigger specific tags if a user says no or yes to an action. They tell what the site owners initially set for consent and what the user updated it to.

Google Analytics Signals: These signals are sent on every page of a website using Google Analytics, especially when specific events happen.

Conversion Signals: These signals are designed to tell when a certain action, such as a purchase, occurs. 

Google Services Consent Mode works with

Consent Mode mainly addresses consent management and cookie usage. That said, it also extends its use with other core Google services that give businesses a more insightful view of marketing operations.

Google Analytics

Google Consent Mode allows website owners to adjust how Google Analytics can collect and use data based on user consent preferences. Consent Mode lets businesses configure Google Analytics to adjust the processing and data collection based on the audience’s consent status for tracking and cookies. For those who have chosen to opt-out, Consent Mode will instead monitor non-personal marketing data to provide information that complies with compliance requirements.  

Floodlights

Floodlights are a kind of tracking technology that focuses on measuring the optimising the performance of video and display ads. Like Google Ads, Consent Mode lets website owners control how Floodlight tags behave based on user consent preferences.  

When a user consents to tracking, Floodlights can capture detailed conversion data. On the other hand, if a user does not give consent, Floodlights will still include basic measurement functions, but with limited personalised tracking instead.

Google Ads

When used alongside Google Ads, Consent Mode lets website owners adapt ad personalisation based on the user’s consent preferences. This means if a user consents to being tracked, Google Ads can utilise the data to deliver targeted and personalised ads. If they do not consent, Google Ads can still provide conversion and measurement data, but with limited personalisation.  

Conversion Linker

Conversion Linker is a tool designed to help maintain user identity across various domains to ensure accurate conversion tracking. Like the other tools, it automatically adapts based on whether the user consents to having their data tracked. For those who do not consent to tracking, Conversion Linker will still work for basic measurement practices but will respect the user’s privacy choices. 

Consent Mode V2

In late November 2023, Google introduced Google Consent Mode V2 as an updated version of the original Consent Mode. The new version was designed to allow more efficient communication of users’ cookie consent choices to Google tags, while aligning with the stricter privacy norms and regulations within the European Economic Area (EEA). Many businesses have begun to implement V2 in their tracking operations, and Google has declared it mandatory by March 2024. 

Key features of Consent Mode (V2)

• New parameters: Google Consent Mode V2 introduces two new parameters. These include ad_user_data and ad_personalization, along with existing ones such as analytics_storage and ad_storage.
• Enhanced User Privacy: The new parameters allow users to better control what happens to their data, making sure that the personal data is sent to Google services only with explicit consent.
• Mandatory implementation: Google Consent Mode provides a major step when it comes to complying with digital advertising and data privacy regulations, especially in the European Economic Area (EEA).

Implementing Consent Mode V2

Consent Mode V2 introduces two ways of implementation: Basic or Advanced Mode.

Basic Consent Mode 

If a user decides to consent to cookies, the website behaves as it normally does when collecting full data. However, if a user does not consent, these tags are not fired. While more straightforward to implement, it limits data collection significantly when users do not consent.  

To implement Basic Consent Mode, here are a few things website owners need to do:  

• Set up a Consent Management Platform (CMP) to help with managing user consent.
• Configure the website so that when a user rejects cookies, Google Analytics tags or similar tags are not fired.
• Integrate a consent flag to communicate the user’s consent decision to Google.

Advanced Consent Mode

Advanced Consent Mode is more closely aligned with the current Consent Mode, and it is Google’s preferred implementation method for website owners as it offers a more nuanced approach. It allows for data to be collected from users when they grant consent and when they do not.

When a user does not consent to cookies, anonymous, cookieless tags are sent to Google instead, for modelling purposes. This method lets websites receive modelled data for Google Analytics and Google Ads, which allows them to identify variables such as browser type, conversion action type, time of day, and other variables without breaching privacy laws and regulations.

To activate Advanced Consent Mode, users must:  

• Be using a CMP for user consent management.
• Have a Server-Side type of setup installed.  
• Configure their website so that Google Analytics cookies are not fired off when cookies are denied. However, a consent flag is still passed to Google.
• Send cookieless tags to Google for data modelling.

What are the advantages of Consent Mode?

Though Consent Mode is mostly mandatory, and most website owners cannot opt out of its implementation if they wish to do business online, there are many advantages that come with it.

Precise data insights

With Consent Mode, businesses can extract precise and accurate insights into user behaviour and campaign performance, especially when they adjust data collection based on consent preferences. This makes sure that analytics data remains trustworthy and accurate.

Enhance user trust

Businesses can create a transparent and user-friendly experience when they choose to respect individual privacy choices. This helps to foster trust as users see their consent preferences being acknowledged and followed.

Deliver personalised advertising

Businesses can tailor and deliver personalised advertising to users who have consented to be tracked, as well as use Consent Mode to create more effective and targeted advertising campaigns without compromising on user privacy.

Improve conversion tracking

Users can ensure more accurate conversion tracking across various other touchpoints with Consent Mode. This also includes the use of tools such as Conversion Linker, to maintain user identity and attribute conversions reliably.

Adapt to changing preferences

Users can adapt to changing preferences in the face of evolving privacy preferences by using Consent Mode, letting them adjust marketing strategies in real time. This ensures efforts align with changing industry standards and user expectations.

Reduce data loss risks

Users can minimize the risk of data loss with user movements across certain domains when they use Consent Mode, due to its robust data-handling mechanisms. This prevents any discrepancies from occurring and ensures a more accurate representation of user interactions.

Show a user-centric marketing strategy

Using Consent Mode highlights a commitment to user-centric marketing practices when businesses choose to respect the audience’s consent preferences. It also helps to build a positive brand image and fosters long-term relationships with audiences.

Conclusion

As users demand more stringent data protection regulations to protect individual privacy, advertisers and website owners must find new ways of data tracking and measurement. Google Consent Mode, and its updated version Consent Mode V2, provide a solution that balances the needs of privacy protection and data-driven insights. Implementing Consent Mode can help businesses foster a more resilient and transparent environment, earning the trust of users while building lasting relationships with customers. 

Contact MediaGroup for a consultation 

If you have any questions about data tracking with the implementation of Consent Mode V2, MediaGroup can help you. We have an experienced team of measurement specialists who can ensure your business collects data in a manner that is accurate and compliant with user consent and local regulations.

Contact us today for a free consultation. 

FAQ

Is Consent Mode mandatory in 2024?

Consent Mode may be mandatory, especially if you operate in or have site visitors who are data subjects in the European Economic Area (EEA). This means at the very least, you will likely have to implement Basic Consent Mode for all Google tags in 2024. However, if you are using Google’s advertising services – either directly or through Google Analytics – Consent Mode may be required.

If I don’t implement Consent Mode by March 2024, what happens?

If Consent Mode is not implemented by 2024, it is likely that remarketing and audience-building capabilities may be crippled – if not outright disabled, when it comes to data collection. Additionally, links between Google’s advertising services and Google Analytics may also not be functional. That said, it is still not clear if and how much conversion tracking will be affected. In any case, we still strongly recommend you turn on Basic Consent Mode as soon as possible.