Hello, illow community! We’re thrilled to share some exciting updates about the latest version of Google Consent Mode and how illow seamlessly integrates it to enhance your consent management experience. If you’re not already familiar, illow is your go-to Consent Management Platform (CMP), ensuring that your website complies with privacy regulations while still harnessing valuable user insights.
A Quick Look Back at Google Consent Mode V1
When Google launched their Consent Mode V1 back in 2020, it first built a bridge between users and Google services such as Google Ads and Google Analytics, allowing websites to adapt Google tags’ behavior based on user consent. Afterwards, Google added the possibility to trigger any tag in Google Tag Manager using this same framework.
This means that whenever a website visitor grants consent by accepting conditions on the cookie banner, a consent signal is sent to Google Tag Manager allowing different services and tools to be triggered. In the same fashion, if the visitor rejects such notice, all services and tags remain blocked.
Key features in Google Consent Mode V1 included consent communication, tag behavior adaptation, region-specific configurations, URL parameter-based consent signaling and conversion modeling. However, it had its limitations, such as less granular control and more restrictions for cookie-less environments.
| Consent Type | Description |
| 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 |
What’s New in Google Consent Mode V2?
Firstly, additional consent parameters were added to the framework, making it more granular on visitor’s choices and enabling websites to tailor the experience more appropriately:
| Consent Type | Description |
| ad_user_data | It controls whether user data related to advertising can be sent to Google. |
| ad_personalization | It controls whether personalized advertising is allowed. |
This marks a huge difference with V1. In the previous versions, consent parameters were all related to the permission to store personal data and cookies, whereas these new parameters talk about its use for ads and personalization. If the visitor rejects the latter two, the website will not be able to build specific audiences (ad_user_data) and display personalized ads (ad_personalization) within the EEA region.
| Consent Parameters | Google Consent Mode V1 | Google Consent Mode V2 |
| ad_storage |  |
|
| analytics_storage | |
|
| functionality_storage | |
|
| personalization_storage | |
|
| security_storage | |
|
| ad_user_data |  |
|
| ad_personalization | |
|
Not having a consent notice certified by Google that integrates properly with Google Consent Mode V2 might cost your website 30% to 60% of your ads revenue.
Why is the Upgrade Important?
Google is enforcing the use of Google Consent Mode V2 by February 2024 for all websites using Google Ads, Floodlight, Display, Google Analytics and other services. In other words, if your website does not use a CMP that implements it, you will not be able to do any audience building or remarketing and you might lose 60% (or even more) of your revenue in ads.
Key Points to Remember
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- Striking the Right Balance: Consent Mode V2 is designed to balance privacy compliance with the need for data-driven insights.
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- Flexibility is Key: Website owners and advertisers gain greater flexibility in tailoring data collection strategies based on user consent.
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- Mandatory Upgrade: Upgrading to Consent Mode V2 is a must by February 2024 to ensure continued compliance.
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- Leverage Features: Utilize region-specific configurations and redaction capabilities to enhance compliance and user privacy.
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- Partial Data Collection: Use URL parameter-based consent signaling for partial data collection when necessary, ensuring flexibility in compliance.
Take Action Today!
Ready to harness the power of Google Consent Mode V2 with illow? Creating a free account at illow.io gives you access to illow’s GTM Tag Template, making the integration a breeze. Empower your website with enhanced privacy compliance and data-driven insights.
Remember, with illow, navigating the complex world of consent management becomes seamless, allowing you to focus on what you do best – delivering a stellar online experience.
Stay compliant. Stay empowered. Stay illow.
illow is a Consent Management Platform and a Google Certified CMP Partner. We provide you with a great-looking consent notice which you can integrate in minutes and that will allow you to keep your ads revenue rate and user’s insights while being privacy compliant.
