How to Comply with Google’s EU User Consent Policy

Digital Marketing Industry News Media Buying Mobile Marketing

Nadav Pesti

Lital Castel 18 April 2024

As the Digital Markets Act (DMA) takes full effect, aligning with Google’s updated EU User Consent Policy becomes crucial for global businesses, apps, websites and more. 

Google’s new regulations require businesses and advertisers to acquire explicit user consent for data processing and personalized advertising, impacting any brand interacting with EU residents. 

While this compliance is meant to enhance user trust and brand reputation, it will also have a major impact on ad personalization and tracking.

In this article, we’ll guide you through the essential steps for integrating consent management practices that comply with the new EU regulations, ensuring your marketing strategies remain both effective and lawful.

Understanding Google’s EU User Consent Policy

As digital privacy takes center stage in the EU, understanding Google’s updated User Consent Policy is crucial for businesses operating across digital platforms. This policy, which aligns with the broader Digital Markets Act (DMA), calls for clear and affirmative user consent before any personal data processing can begin. 

• The policy covers various aspects, including the use of cookies, data storage, and personalized advertising, making its compliance a multifaceted challenge for global apps and websites.

Key Requirements of Google’s EU User Consent Policy

• Gaining Explicit Consent: Legally valid consent according to the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) requires users to actively approve the gathering and utilization of their personal information. Both the GDPR and the Data Protection Act mandate that consent must be voluntary, precise, well-informed, and clear. 

Simply put, before you gather or use any data from your users—be it through cookies or other methods for ad targeting—you need their explicit approval. This means no pre-ticked boxes or assumptions of consent. 

• Providing Clear Choices: Users should have the power to easily decide what happens with their data. The policy requires offering these choices at a detailed level, so users can manage different types of data activities according to their preferences.

• Enhancing Transparency: Transparency regarding data practices is no longer just a matter of ethics; it is now a necessity. This means informing your users about the collection, utilization, and sharing of their information. Google mandates that businesses must disclose identifiers for all entities with access to users’ personal data resulting from the use of Google products, including (but not limited to) data collection, reception, or utilization.
• Collecting Consent Records: To ensure compliance, businesses need to keep detailed documentation on user consent acquisition. According to Google, this means recording the text, consent choices shown to users, and the precise date and time of consent.

Who Needs to Comply with Google’s User Consent Policies?

The new EU user consent policies, as part of Google’s compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), affect a broad spectrum of digital entities, extending their impact far beyond the boundaries of the European Union. 

These policies are particularly relevant for:

Global Websites and Apps

Any website or app that is accessible to users in the European Union, regardless of where the business is based, needs to comply with these policies. This includes platforms that might not explicitly target EU users but can still be accessed by them​. 

Digital Marketers and Advertisers

Marketers using advertising tools like Google Ads, Google Analytics, or any other third-party tools, such as offline conversion imports or store sales, must adhere to these guidelines to legally target or analyze the EU market​​ and user ad personalization. 

E-commerce Platforms

Online retailers and e-commerce platforms that offer goods or services to EU residents are subject to these regulations, as they typically involve processing user data for transactions or personalized advertising​.

Content Publishers Using Ad Networks

Publishers and developers who monetize their sites through advertising networks such as Google AdSense, Ad Manager, or AdMob, which involve collecting data about users for personalized advertising, must comply to avoid penalties and ensure their ad revenue streams are not disrupted. 

Steps to Stay Compliant with Google’s EU User Consent Policies

Navigating Google’s updated EU User Consent Policies under the DMA is essential, but it doesn’t have to be daunting. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help ensure your business stays compliant while maintaining a positive relationship with your users.

Implement a Consent Management Platform (CMP)

To streamline managing user preferences across different regions and regulations, incorporating a CMP like Cookiebot or OneTrust can be a game changer. These platforms make it simpler to ensure you’re gathering consents properly, respecting users’ choices, and staying on top of regional legal demands. Most of these even offer customizable consent banners, handling user consent, and ensuring that no cookies or tracking scripts are run without consent. 

It’s like having a knowledgeable assistant who ensures every user interaction respects their privacy preferences, keeping both you and your users happy​. 

Integrate Google Tag Manager with Consent Management

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a significant part of your compliance efforts, allowing you to manage how and when your site’s tags are fired based on user consent. 

You can utilize GTM’s Consent Mode to configure your tags to operate only when users have consented to the cookies and tracking mechanisms being employed. This integration ensures that personal data is not processed without explicit permission, adhering to GDPR requirements.

Update Your Privacy Policies

Think of your privacy policy as the foundation of your relationship with your customers—it tells them how you’ll treat their data. Keep it clear and up-to-date. Regularly refreshing this policy to reflect the latest practices shows your commitment to transparency and helps users feel more secure about what happens with their information.

Engage and Educate Your Users

Sharing knowledge about why you need certain data and what benefits it brings can go a long way in building trust. Consider creating easy-to-understand content that helps users see the value of their data sharing. It could be as simple as a blog post, a video, or even an infographic explaining the perks they gain by sharing their data, like better personalization and more relevant offers.

Conduct Regular Audits and Monitor Results

Set up a routine to check your data practices. Regular audits help ensure everything is in top shape and compliant with current regulations. Employing monitoring tools can provide ongoing insights into your compliance status, helping you address any issues immediately. Think of it as regular health checks for your data practices, making sure everything is working perfectly to serve both you and your users better.

• Be sure to also visit Google’s help guides in case you’re looking for specific compliance guidance for your business.

Ensuring Mobile App Compliance: MMP Solutions

To help you comply with the new EU user consent policies under the DMA, some of the major Mobile Measurement Platforms (MMPs) have already updated their tools and provided guidelines to help mobile apps manage user consent more effectively. 

Here’s a brief summary of the solutions offered by AppsFlyer, Adjust, and Singular:

AppsFlyer

AppsFlyer has developed specific guides and SDK updates to support the new Google EU consent policy. These resources help advertisers integrate consent management platforms (CMPs) and ensure that user consent data is accurately captured and transmitted to Google. You can read more about how the platform is supporting the new consent policies here.

Adjust

Adjust offers detailed documentation on how to configure its SDKs for iOS and Android to meet DMA compliance. This includes setting specific parameters that inform Google about the user’s consent status regarding data sharing and ad personalization. 

The platform also provides options for integrating with CMPs to automate the collection and transmission of consent data. Read more about their DMA compliance for iOS here and Android here. 

Singular

Singular focuses on supporting user privacy choices through features like “Limit Data Sharing” (LDS) which helps advertisers manage how data is shared with ad networks, including Google Ads. Their integration guides for Google Ads Attribution emphasize the importance of configuring data sharing settings in alignment with user consent preferences. You can read more about it here.

These resources from MMPs provide a comprehensive framework for mobile apps to ensure compliance with the latest EU user consent policies, facilitating responsible data management and enhancing user trust.

• Make sure to also refer to Google’s Developers guide for Android and iOS to understand how to implement Google’s consent dialog or design your own for your mobile app. 

Key Takeaways

Navigating the complexities of Google’s EU User Consent Policy under the Digital Markets Act is crucial for maintaining compliance and protecting user data. By integrating Consent Management Platforms (CMPs), utilizing tools like Google Tag Manager, and keeping privacy policies and user education up to date, brands can ensure their digital strategies are both effective and lawful. 

As these requirements evolve, partnering with an expert digital marketing agency like Moburst can help you stay ahead of the curve, ensuring your marketing efforts are not only compliant but also competitive and innovative. Check out our full suite of digital marketing services to learn more.

Nadav Pesti

Nadav is Moburst's Head of Media Integrations & Data Analysis. He's an experienced growth hacker who specializes in helping our clients accelerate the development of their digital businesses through data-driven decision-making. He has an extensive technical understanding of performance marketing, social platforms, and analytics, as well as an eye for uncovering new trends and improving performance.

Lital Castel

Lital is Moburst’s Content Manager & Email Marketing Specialist. She specializes in coming up with engaging ideas and research to capture the trendiest topics in the digital and mobile marketing world. She is passionate about productivity and optimizing your day, but you can probably find her playing video games while cuddling with her dog on the couch to wind down at the end of a long day.

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