From 21 July 2025, Google will begin restricting data collection from websites that don’t have proper consent systems in place. If your organisation uses Google Analytics, Google Ads, or other tracking tools, and your setup isn’t updated, you could suddenly lose access to vital insights about how users are interacting with your site.
It’s a significant change, but there’s still time to prepare.
What’s changing?
Google is tightening requirements for how websites handle user consent. If your site doesn’t clearly ask users for permission and communicate their choices back to Google using a tool called Consent Mode v2, tracking simply won’t happen. That includes anonymous or aggregated data.
What is consent mode v2?
Consent Mode is a framework that adjusts how Google tools like Analytics and Ads behave depending on the user’s consent preferences. It helps you stay compliant with privacy regulations like GDPR and the EU’s Digital Markets Act, while still making the most of your data when permission is granted.
If your organisation relies on data to understand behaviour, track performance, or make informed decisions, this is something you can’t afford to overlook.
What you need to check
The good news: you probably don’t need to rebuild your setup from scratch. But there are some key areas to review:
Do you have a clear cookie consent banner that gives users a real choice?
Your consent banner must offer both accept and reject options. Pre-ticked boxes or vague wording no longer meet legal requirements.
Is consent being passed correctly to Google Tag Manager (GTM)?
Consent Mode v2 relies on consent signals being sent to GTM before any tracking tags are triggered.
Are your tracking tags firing only when consent is given?
Tags for Analytics, Ads and other tools should only activate when the user has opted in. GTM’s built-in consent checks make this manageable.
Are you using a Google-certified consent tool (CMP)?
Certified CMPs integrate with Consent Mode and make it easier to ensure your site is compliant. Using one can also reduce the risk of data loss.
Without these elements in place, you could lose valuable insight into customer journeys, marketing performance and website activity.
Why it matters
This isn’t about tracking for the sake of it. It’s about understanding how people engage with your website so you can improve user experience, measure impact and make better decisions. If your setup isn’t compliant, you may see sudden drops in reported traffic, conversions or sales - even if user activity hasn’t changed.
Not sure if you’re compliant?
We can help. If you need some assistance confirming if you’re compliant, we can review your current setup, advise on best practices, and help implement Consent Mode v2 correctly.
Get in touch to make sure your data doesn’t disappear overnight.
