Advertising on Google? You must use a Google certified CMP

On January 16, 2024, all advertisers who use Google AdSense, AdManager or AdMob were required to use a Google certified Consent Management Platform (CMP) when serving ads to users in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom (UK). 

Let’s talk about:

• What is a Google certified CMP?
• Why this happened
• What businesses need to do
• Selecting a Google certified CMP

What is a Google certified CMP?

A Google certified CMP (Consent Management Platform) is a tool approved by Google to manage consent for cookies and tracking technologies on websites. It helps ensure compliance with GDPR and other privacy regulations by providing mechanisms for obtaining and managing user consent transparently and securely.

Read more: The ins and outs of consent management platforms

Why this happened

It all started with TCF: IAB Europe’s Transparency and Consent Framework.

GDPR compliance

The Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) is an industry standard framework initiated by the IAB Europe back in 2017, in anticipation of GDPR compliance. Together with 70+ member companies and trade associations, IAB Europe released the TCF and numerous updates since its inception. The latest is TCF v2.2. 

Standardization

The TCF is an accountability tool. It exists to help vendors, publishers, and consent management platforms (CMPs) comply with European data protection laws like GDPR and ePrivacy. It does this by delivering a set of policies and implementation guidelines for publishers and technology partners. These help those organizations to deliver a standardized privacy experience to customers, which empower customer choices and advertiser accuracy across channels. 

The goal is to “harmonize” privacy laws, supporting consumer rights to transparency and control, while supporting businesses in responsible data practices and handling. 

Industry support

The TCF has broad support across the digital advertising industry, with many organizations looking to the framework as a standard for operations. Google followed suit: In 2020, they integrated their ads with the TCF. Now, in an effort to support industry standards and consistent user experiences, they’re requiring the same of all advertisers leveraging the Google ad network. 

Google believes that by adopting IAB Europe’s standardized framework, they will: 

• Help the industry move towards a more unified approach to transparency and consent
• Contribute to the evolution of user privacy and support a more privacy-conscious digital advertising ecosystem

What businesses need to do

Starting January 16, 2024, all advertisers leveraging Google AdSense, AdManager or AdMob have been required to use a Google certified CMP. Meeting Google’s requirement isn’t just complying with Google–you’re adhering to a respected framework for processing data in a compliant, transparent manner.

Does this impact your business? 

If you are serving ads in Europe leveraging the Google ad network, you are impacted by this change. 

If you haven’t already, now is the time to evaluate your CMP, check if they’re certified, and choose another provider if necessary. 

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Get a Google certified CMP

If your business serves ads in the EEA or UK using Google's ad platforms, you must take the following steps:

• Implement a Google certified CMP: Select a CMP from Google CMP list that ensures compliance with TCF guidelines. This CMP will manage user consent preferences and transmit them to Google's ad platforms in a standardized format.
• Evaluate CMP Capabilities: Consider factors such as the CMP's ability to manage consent across multiple platforms and channels, support for jurisdiction-specific policies (beyond TCF), and integration capabilities with your existing systems for managing user data preferences.
• Ensure Compliance: Adhering to Google's requirement not only ensures compliance with their policies but also aligns your business with industry standards that promote transparent data processing practices.

Selecting a Google certified CMP for your business

When choosing a CMP, it's crucial to verify that it is Google certified. This certification ensures that the CMP meets Google's requirements for handling consent signals in compliance with the latest TCF version.

How to choose a Google certified consent management platform

To select the right google CMP for your business, follow these steps:

1. Search Google certified CMP list

You can view the complete Google certified CMP list here. You must select a CMP from this Google-approved list to ensure no disruptions to your ad revenue streams. 

2. Review coverage and integration

Ensure the CMP supports all the platforms and channels where you serve ads and integrates seamlessly with your existing systems.

How many places, platforms, and channels do you need to think about when it comes to capturing people’s consent preferences? If you’re a digital business, it probably goes well beyond Google. Make sure your CMP delivers desired banner and privacy notice experiences across every channel you require.

3. Consider jurisdiction awareness

If your business operates beyond Europe, consider a CMP that allows you to manage consent preferences according to different jurisdictions' regulations.

How many jurisdictions do your customers live in? While TCF is specific to European audiences, your business may include customers in California, Brazil, and more. Look for a CMP that makes it easy for your to create jurisdiction-aware policies and banners.

4. Compare data management capabilities

Check if the CMP provides robust tools for managing user data preferences, including mechanisms for data deletion and API integrations with downstream systems.

Have you thought about how you’ll reflect customer privacy choices in your downstream systems? For example, If a user requests their data be deleted: can you easily do that in your internal systems and external apps? Ask your CMP provider what kind of integrations and API connections they offer.

For a more detailed discussion on consent management software, read: 3 requirements for effective consent management.

Ketch is a Google-certified CMP

Ketch is a Google-certified CMP for both web and mobile environments as listed on Google CMP list. Today, we help companies from direct-to-consumer retailers to global publishing houses comply with TCF standards of data processing in complex data environments. 

Ketch was founded by veterans of the data management and advertising technology industry. Our data privacy software is informed by intimate, technical understanding of the complex digital advertising landscape. The core attributes of the Ketch platform–flexible, automated, interoperable–are informed by the knowledge that successful data privacy management requires a unique balance of technology and process. 

Learn more: Ketch consent and preference management.