The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is a new EU regulation that will affect all advertisers in the European Economic Area (EEA) from March 6, 2024. Advertisers outside the EEA may also be affected if they want to reach users in countries within the EEA.
Specifically, the use of Google Consent Mode V2 will become mandatory for all those who wish to continue using certain functions in Google Ads when the DMA comes into force on March 6. This includes, among other things:
- Imports of conversions from Google Analytics 4
- Imports of target groups/audiences from Google Analytics 4
- Audience exclusions for explicit targeting of new customers
- Use of remarketing lists
- Retargeting & personalization of ads in Google Ads
- Lookalikes in Demand Gen campaigns
The aim of the new EU regulation is to generate more control over user data protection. With Google Consent Mode, this works via direct communication between the Consent Management Platform (CMP) or the cookie banner implemented via it and the Google tags.
The direct exchange between the platforms means that data protection can be guaranteed if cookies are rejected, even if the manual implementation of the consent query within the Google tags is intentionally or unintentionally incorrect. As a result, users who expressly do not want to be tracked can use Google Consent Mode to ensure that no data is actually transmitted and therefore benefit from the new EU regulation.
However, the EU regulation can also be an advantage for advertisers, provided that they have already correctly observed cookie consent, as communication between the platforms enables additional data modeling. Depending on the implementation (basic vs. advanced consent mode), this can lead to significantly more data and is therefore also helpful for performance in Google Ads.
However, the improved performance through data modeling is only an additional bonus to the already mandatory regulation. Setting up Google Consent Mode V2 is therefore no longer just an option to obtain more data, but absolutely necessary for anyone who wants to continue using audiences, remarketing or GA4 conversions in Google Ads.
Our offer for a Consent Management & Tracking Check:
- Advice on Consent Management Platform (CMP) & current setup
- If already supported, activation of Consent Mode V2 in the CMP
- Setting up Consent Mode V2 & checking the Google tags in Google Tag Manager (GTM)
Use our contact form so that we can advise you individually tailored to your setup and Consent Management Tool!
Further information on the Digital Markets Act is available as a free PDF download:
