Consent Mode v2: everything you need to know about Google’s new consent mode

In July 2024, Google introduced a new version of its consent mode, Google Consent Mode v2, which has already attracted significant attention in the digital marketing industry. With increasing demands for data protection and privacy, this version provides marketers and website owners with new opportunities to ensure compliance and increase transparency in their user experience.

What is Google Consent Mode v2?

Google Consent Mode v2 is an advanced consent mode designed to help websites comply with global data privacy standards. This mode allows websites to request and receive consent from users to use cookies and other tracking technologies, and provides new tools for managing and analysing this consent.

With the new features, Google Consent Mode v2 provides more flexible settings for site owners and more control for users over how their data is collected and used. This creates a balance between business goals and privacy requirements.

Google Consent Mode v2 allows websites to dynamically adjust the behaviour of Google tags (e.g., Google Analytics, Google Ads) based on user consent to the use of cookies. This mode helps to ensure compliance with privacy requirements such as GDPR in the European Union and CCPA in the United States, while maintaining access to important marketing data.

What are GDPR and CCPA?

GDPR is the General Data Protection Regulation that applies in the European Union. All EU member states are covered by this regulation, namely: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Hungary, and the United Kingdom. It also covers countries in the European Economic Area (EEA), such as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. In addition, the GDPR applies to any organization, regardless of its location, if it processes personal data of EU or EEA citizens.

CCPA is the Consumer Privacy Act of the state of California, USA. It was enacted to protect the data privacy rights of California residents and applies to companies that operate in California or serve California residents and meet certain revenue or user requirements. The CCPA applies only to California, but due to the significant market in this state, many companies from other states or countries are also subject to it if they collect or process personal data from California residents.

Main principles of Google Consent Mode v2:

• Adaptive use of cookies: Consent Mode v2 allows a website to determine how cookies behave depending on the consent provided by the user. If the user has not given consent to the use of marketing or analytical cookies, the corresponding tags will work in a limited mode. This means that instead of collecting user identification data, only aggregated data will be collected.
• Use of Consent Pings: When a user visits a website, the browser sends special requests (consent pings) to Google’s servers to determine the level of consent. There are two types of pings:
  Ad Storage Ping: Determines whether cookies are allowed to be used for advertising and remarketing.
  Analytics Storage Ping: Determines whether cookies are allowed to be used for analytics and visitor data collection.
• Aggregated data and conversion modelling: If a user has not consented to the use of cookies, Google uses machine learning techniques to model conversions based on available aggregate data. This allows marketers to get close to real-world performance indicators for their advertising campaigns.
  According to Google’s research, conversion rates for users who refuse to set cookies are approximately 2-5 times lower than for those who have agreed to use them. The exact values depend on factors such as consent rate, industry, and conversion type.
  

Source: Google Ads Help

• Flexible client-side customization: Site owners can customize Google Tag behaviour to meet local requirements and their own needs using Google Tag Manager or other tools. This makes it quick and easy to change consent settings without having to make changes to the site code.

Difference between Google Consent Mode and Google Consent Mode v2

Below is a comparison between the original version of Google Consent Mode and the new v2 version to better understand what improvements have been made and how this can affect your website’s consent management strategy.

Comparative table of Google Consent Mode and Google Consent Mode v2:

Google Consent Mode v2 provides improved functionality compared to the original version, including enhanced conversion modelling capabilities, more flexible cookie settings, and better support for new privacy standards.

How to choose a cookie plugin?

Every website owner who wants to comply with privacy requirements such as GDPR, CCPA, and other regulations needs a reliable tool for managing user consent. Deciding on the right plugin or consent banner solution depends on many factors: the size of your website, specific privacy requirements, plugin functionality, and budget.

Below is a comparative table that will help you make a choice among the most popular plugins for implementing a consent banner. These solutions offer different levels of functionality, customization options, and have different prices, which allows you to select the best option for your website.

These solutions provide different levels of functionality and affordability, which allows you to choose the most suitable option for your website.

Conclusion

Google Consent Mode v2, is an important step forward in data protection and privacy. Implementing this mode will not only help your business stay compliant with the law, but also improve user experience, increase trust, and optimize marketing efforts.

If you need help implementing the new settings or need advice on data privacy, please contact our marketing agency for a detailed consultation.