In a groundbreaking move, Google is set to bring significant changes to its advertising practices in response to the enforcement of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in the European Economic Area starting March 6, 2024. The DMA has prompted Google to alter the way advertising on its technologies operates, with a key focus on obtaining user consent.

As the enforcement date approaches, brands will now be required to collect explicit consent from consumers and transmit it to Google Marketing Platform (GMP) through certified Consent Management Platforms (CMP). Without this crucial signal, bidding and remarketing functionalities will cease to operate beyond March 6.

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Several Google Marketing Platform (GMP) products are set to be impacted if consent signals are not adequately conveyed, including Ads, Display Video 360 (DV360), Search Ads 360 (SA360), Campaign Manager, and Google Analytics 4. Businesses utilizing these technologies must take prompt action to ensure compliance.

Google has provided a notice period of over four months for brands to adjust, deploy the necessary solutions, and conduct testing. Failure to obtain consent will result in brands losing the ability to bid on audiences, run remarketing activities, measure performance accurately, and attribute consistently.

While the DMA changes are specific to the European Economic Area, there is an expectation that similar adjustments may be reflected in UK law soon. Brands are advised to stay ahead of the curve and prepare for these changes.

Furthermore, the article anticipates an expansion of consent signals to offline data. Businesses using Customer Relationship Management (CRM) or Customer Data Platform (CDP) delivering offline data to Google for Enhance Conversions should engage with their technology providers to understand potential adjustments needed for successful consent signal transmission.

In summary, to avoid interruptions in marketing activities, businesses are urged to deploy certified CMPs across their websites, implement Google’s “Consent Mode,” and upgrade to Google Analytics 4 if still using Universal Analytics, as the latter will be incompatible with consent signals after March 6.