Google announced new requirements for advertisers serving ads in the EEA and UK today.

These updates pertain to Consent Management Platforms (CMPs), part of the IAB Europe Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF).

The CMP requirements result from evolving user expectations and regulatory factors involving online consent experiences.

Read on to understand if and how the requirements will affect your advertising campaigns.

A Brief Background

In 2020, Google integrated its ad systems into the Transparency and Consent Framework for IAB Europe.

The framework helps support the digital landscape and ads ecosystem, which includes different Consent Management Platforms.

Consent Management Platforms provide legally required notices to users about:

• What data is processed
• Which specific entities process their data, and for what particular purposes
• Any other legal requirements required by different privacy regulations

These Consent Management Platforms support Google’s publisher partners within the ads ecosystem.

As consumer expectations evolve around providing consent, Google laid out new requirements to adhere to ongoing guidelines within the TCF and set a footprint in hopes other industry platforms follow suit.

The New Requirement

In the second half of 2023, Google will require any partner who uses a publisher product to use a Google-certified CMP when serving ads in the EEA or the UK. The publisher’s products include:

• Google AdSense
• Google Ad Manager
• AdMob

Google is helping advertisers prepare for this change by providing a list of Google-certified CMPs that meet the TCF’s specifications. It’s expected to provide this list within the next few weeks.

Google has also started certifying different CMPs to provide various options for advertisers and publishers. Using its Additional Consent specification, it will also work with ad tech providers not currently registered with the TCF.

The requirement follows IAB Europe’s announcement that their TCF V2.2 has been finalized. Part of what makes up V2.2 is the support of consistency in the online advertising consent experience.

What This Means

Any advertiser currently running or plans to run ads in the EEA or UK in the future will be affected.

Once Google has provided the list of acceptable CMPs to partner with as a direct result of the TCF V2.2, cross-reference with what you currently use.

When looking back on the 2020 integration with the TCF, Google gave advertisers a grace period of 150 days to comply. While Google has not provided a definitive date for complying with this newest requirement, past timelines could indicate a similar grace period on V2.2.

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