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Next-Level Data Management: The Evolution of Consent Mode V2

Data Data, Data Privacy & Governance, Data privacy 4 min read
Profile picture for user Oksana Davydenko

Written by
Oksana Davydenko
Analytics Manager

Next-Level Data Management: The Evolution of Consent Mode V2

In an era where data privacy concerns are a hot topic, the demand for digital privacy and personalization has become increasingly important. Recognizing these pressing needs, Google made updates to the Consent Mode API that offer more nuanced consent settings.

To enhance user control over data collection and personalization, Google has introduced two new parameters in the Consent Mode arsenal. These parameters allow for more granular consent settings, specifically related to advertising data passed to Google:

  • ad_user_data: This parameter manages consent for passing user data to Google for advertising purposes.
  • ad_personalization: This parameter controls consent for personalized advertising.

In the following paragraphs, we delve deeper into the importance of Consent Mode Version 2 (V2) and its implications for user privacy and data management.

Why is it important?

Google stresses the importance of obtaining consent from end users in the European Economic Area for the use of their personal data, as required by law, when incorporating these new parameters. It is important to note that these requirements also extend to cases where Google Analytics data is shared with Google Marketing Platform (GMP). For example, if you are sending Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to GMP or importing GA4 conversion to optimize ad campaigns on the GMP side, you should collect these new consent parameters.

For customers who have implemented Consent Mode, the ad_storage parameter will be automatically mapped to the new ad_user_data parameter starting March 2024. This means that when consent is granted or denied for ad_storage, ad_user_data will respect the same setting, ensuring that the performance measurement capabilities of your original implementation continue to work as expected.

No changes will be made to the new ad_personalization parameter configuration, but it is necessary to integrate the new consent mode parameters to maintain access to tag-based audience and personalization features through Google Ads, GA4 or GMP. This can be done either directly in your Google tag (gTag) or through a consent management platform (CMP) that has successfully migrated to the new version of consent mode (for example, OneTrust recently confirmed they completed the updates for two new consent parameters in new integration).

Understand Consent Mode V2’s impact on data collection.

Deciding not to implement/upgrade to Consent Mode V2 will impact audience collection in your GA4 property. The size of audiences you use for remarketing will likely decrease since there is no user consent collected for the ad_personalization parameter.

And as we mentioned above, should you fail to collect the ad_user_data parameter, which is necessary for sharing conversion data from GA4 to GMP, Google ensures that it will be appropriately mapped to the existing ad_storage parameter. This means that at least a Basic Consent Mode implementation is mandatory.

It’s equally important to emphasize that obtaining user consent extends to data tracking in mobile applications as well as data uploads to Google. Make sure that you send consent parameters with this data. Otherwise, if data sent to GA4 is not labeled as consented, it will negatively impact conversion tracking and audience size for remarketing. You will not be able to share conversion data with Google Ads for campaign optimization and will not be able to leverage data modelling. And in the case of audiences, you might see a decrease in the size of your remarketing audiences if you do not collect ad_personalization consent.

Validate your Consent Mode V2 setup.

To validate Consent Mode V2 setup, you should check the network requests tab in the browser’s developer tools. In the Network tab, the gcd parameter should appear in all requests sent to Google (GA4, Google Ads, etc.)

The gcd parameter should appear in all requests sent to Google

Important: If you are sending data to the server side container, you should look out for a parameter called ‘sst.gcd’ in the same Network request. Its value should be the same as the gcd parameter value.

Look out for a parameter called ‘sst.gcd’ in the same Network request

Each value starts with the number 13 and ends with the number 5. In between, you’ll find a string of letters separated by the number 3. These letters correspond to different consent states (either default or updated), and their sequence corresponds to the following signals: ad_storage, analytics_storage, ad_user_data, and ad_personalisation.

If this sounds confusing, don’t worry. Using the table below, we’ll decode an example gcd string together:

Use the table to decode an example gcd string

Let’s decode the example 13v3u3v3v5:

  • ad_storage = granted (both by default and after update)
  • analytics_storage = denied (granted by default and denied after update)
  • ad_user_data = granted (both by default and after update)
  • ad_personalisation = granted (both by default and after update)'

Recap 

Google's release of Consent Mode V2 is crucial for businesses operating in today's privacy-focused landscape, ensuring:

  • Enhanced User Control: It empowers users with granular control over their data. This transparency builds trust and fosters positive user experiences.
  • Compliance with Data Privacy Regulations: Consent Mode V2 helps businesses comply with evolving regulations like GDPR and CCPA. 
  • Accurate Data Measurement: For businesses, Consent Mode V2 provides a clearer picture of collected data. This allows for more accurate measurement and analysis in advertising and digital analytics. This, in turn, helps optimize marketing campaigns and improve user targeting strategies.

Future-Proofing Data Practices: As data privacy regulations continue to develop, Consent Mode V2 positions businesses for the future and helps companies demonstrate a commitment to responsible data collection.

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