Consent Mode makes it easy to manage consent across Google Analytics, Google Ads and other Google products.
Here’s a quick reminder of the five tags currently supported by Consent Mode:
- ad_storage: Enables storage (such as cookies) related to advertising.
- analytics_storage: Enables storage (such as cookies) related to analytics e.g. visit duration.
- functionality_storage: Enables storage that supports the functionality of the website or app e.g. language settings.
- personalization_storage: Enables storage related to personalization e.g. video recommendations.
- security_storage: Enables storage related to security such as authentication functionality, fraud prevention, and other user protection.
Consent mode provides a single system
That respects user consent choices while dataset maximising data visibility, regardless of which options they choose. In the worst-case scenario, users refuse to give consent for all settings and you rely on non-identifying data and Google’s intelligent predictions for reporting.
Obviously, the best-case scenario is that users provide consent for all requests but many users may provide consent for some and not for others, especially across different sessions. For example, you may find the same user refuses consent during their first visit when they click through from an ad – so they’ve opted out of Google Ads tracking.
However, the same user might later give consent for Google Analytics tracking when they visit your website from organic search.
As Senior Product Manager for Google Tag Manager, Scott Herman, explains:
“For example, if a user does not provide consent for ads cookies (and therefore advertising purposes are disabled), but does provide consent for analytics cookies, advertisers will still be able to measure site behaviour and conversions in Analytics as the “analytics_storage” setting will be enabled.”
With Consent Mode, you have a system that seamlessly collects, stores and respects these settings across the relevant platforms, regardless of which combined settings users define.
Do I have to use Consent Mode in Google Analytics 4?
Google requires you to obtain the correct md digital marketing’s local search tool consents from users in order to use their tools – you don’t necessarily have to use their Consent Mode mechanism to do this, but a similar process is required. Also, it’s important that you (and the data controller at your company) are aware that neither Google nor ourselves here at Vertical Leap are authorities on GDPR, other data privacy regulations or even the suitability of Consent Mode as a solution.
Like many tech companies, Google is working hard to create solutions that strike a balance between respecting data privacy and maximising reasonable data visibility for marketers and advertisers.
Google’s ongoing tug-of-war over implementing a new tracking system to replace third-party cookies illustrates how the search giant can run into problems with this.
You can read our post on Google replacing its previous FLoC proposal with the new Topics API for more details on this.
That being said, Google Consent Mode enhances the compliance of Consent Management Platforms (CMP) so widely used by websites post-GDPR. So, if there are any legal holes in Google’s technology, it’s still an improvement upon using most CMPs without Consent Mode or a similar solution.
On this basis, we do recommend using Google Consent Mode alongside a Consent Management System that supports the tool or the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)’s Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF), which is now v2.0.
We can assist you with the implementation of a suitable CMP, Google Consent Mode and your migration over to Google Analytics 4 but we are not able to legally advise you on whether this is the best solution.
So, speak to the data controller for your company before implementing any data management system and seek relevant legal advice whether necessary.
Need help?
If you need any help with migrating over australia database directory to Google Analytics 4 or further information on using Consent Mode, our analytics team can help. Call us on 023 9283 0281 to speak to our team today or fill out the contact form below and we’ll get back to you.