Google is making big changes to its Cookies and Consent Policy with significant implications for the way data is captured and collated across Google services.
Grab a cuppa and read this blog to discover what these changes are, how the launch of Google’s Consent Mode v2 will impact your business, and what action you can take to ensure your website continues to track vital data.
Changes to third-party cookies
Third-party cookies are data files that are created by external domains – not the website you are visiting – and placed on your browser to track user behaviour. Third-party cookies are used for online advertising through cross-site tracking and behavioural targeting.
Stay with us… Google is phasing out the use of third-party cookies on Chrome to better comply with privacy regulations on the web. Also known as third-party cookies depreciation, this has major implications for businesses that rely on cross-site tracking, such as Facebook advertising.
What does this mean for you?
Businesses and any organisations that rely on data for online advertising, pop-up ads, and retargeted ads will be significantly impacted by these changes.
To mitigate this, organisations will need to improve their first-party data collection and implement the new Google Consent Mode v2 to ensure they are meeting data privacy regulations.
Google Consent Mode v2
Google’s new Consent Mode v2 platform integrates visitor consent preferences with Google services. In doing so, this ensures the privacy preferences selected by web users are relayed to Google Tag Manager and their choices adhered to. This is a key requirement of EU data privacy regulations.
Google Consent Mode v2 is obligatory for all Google users and customers and is already being rolled out. Full enforcement is expected in late 2024, when third-party cookies will become obsolete.
What do you need to do now?
- Check whether your cookies provider is listed as one of Google’s new Consent Management Platform (CMP) partners. You can do this here.
- If your CMP is not listed above, you will need to manually activate Consent Mode v2 on your website banner.
- Provides users with all required consent options: Accept all, adjust, and decline.
- Check that your Google Tag has Consent Mode implemented.
- Set up advanced consent mode for your Google Tag. This enables Google Tags to fire before consent is given, which allows for the collection of ‘cookieless’ data in GA4.
- If all of this feels overwhelming, talk to your website support team or digital agency!
Do you need help activating Consent Mode v2? Get in touch with us.