Google EU User Consent Policy

Google EU User Consent Policy – What You Need to Do

If you have received an email from Google with the subject line "Action required – Fix EU user consent issues", you are not alone. Google sends these notifications to advertisers and agencies whose websites do not meet the requirements of Google's EU User Consent Policy. The policy applies to anyone using Google Ads, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager or other Google advertising services who targets users in the EEA, United Kingdom or Switzerland.

What does the EU User Consent Policy require?

In short, Google requires you as an advertiser to be responsible for:

• Informing end users about what data is collected and how it is used.
• Obtaining consent before cookies and tracking are activated, to the extent required by law.
• Sending consent signals to Google that confirm users' choices, either via Google Consent Mode or through a Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) integration.

The policy is Google's way of complying with GDPR, the ePrivacy Directive and similar European privacy legislation. It has existed since 2015 but requirements have been tightened progressively – most recently with the mandatory requirement for Google Consent Mode v2.

Common issues Google flags

In the email from Google, one or more of these issues are typically listed:

1. Consent signals have not been configured correctly – Your website is not sending correct consent signals to Google. This means Google cannot validate whether a user has granted or denied consent.
2. Cookies are being set before consent – Cookies from Google (and potentially third-party services) are activated before the user has made an active choice in the cookie banner.

Both issues mean your website does not comply with Google's policy, and you risk losing access to personalization, remarketing and conversion measurement.

What is the deadline?

Google specifies a deadline in the email – typically 60 days out. If the issues are not resolved by then, Google may restrict functionality in your ad account. In practice this means you lose the ability to use:

• Remarketing and audience lists
• Conversion measurement and optimization
• Personalized ads based on user data

This directly impacts the performance of your Google Ads campaigns and can lead to worse ROI.

Step by step: How to fix the issues

1. Review your current CMP setup

A CMP (Consent Management Platform) is the tool that displays the cookie banner and manages users' consent choices. Popular CMPs include Cookiebot, OneTrust, Usercentrics and CookieYes. Verify that your CMP is correctly configured and that it actually blocks cookies before consent is given.

2. Implement Google Consent Mode v2

Google Consent Mode is an API that communicates the user's consent status to Google's tags. In version 2, you are required to send signals for ad_storage, analytics_storage, ad_user_data and ad_personalization. Read our complete guide to Google Consent Mode v2.

3. Verify that no cookies are set before consent

Use developer tools in your browser to check which cookies are set on page load – before you interact with the cookie banner. No Google cookies (such as _ga, _gcl_au, _gid) should exist before consent is given. Read more in our article about cookies before consent.

4. Test and validate

Google offers a tool in Google Tag Assistant to verify that Consent Mode is working correctly. Also check that consent signals are visible in Google Ads under Consent Settings.

What happens if you don't fix the issues?

If you ignore Google's notification and the deadline passes, you risk:

• Remarketing lists and audiences stopping working
• Conversion measurement no longer being able to attribute conversions to your campaigns
• Google's smart bidding strategies (such as Maximize Conversions and Target ROAS) degrading significantly
• Losing the ability to use Enhanced Conversions

In other words – your advertising effectiveness drops dramatically, and you pay the same amount for worse results.

Need help?

Configuring consent, Consent Mode and CMP correctly requires technical knowledge of Google Tag Manager, website configuration and data protection regulations. At Growth Hackers, we have helped hundreds of businesses solve exactly these issues and ensure their advertising data is accurate and compliant.

Contact us for a free review of your consent setup, or read more about our measurement and analytics services.

Frequently Asked Questions

I already have a cookie banner – why am I still getting this email?

Having a cookie banner is not enough. The banner must be correctly configured to (1) block cookies before consent is given and (2) send consent signals to Google via Consent Mode or TCF. Many default configurations lack one or both of these capabilities.

Does this only apply to Google Ads?

No. The policy applies to all Google advertising services, including Google Ads, Display & Video 360, Campaign Manager 360, Search Ads 360 and Google Analytics when used with advertising features. GA4 conversions imported into Google Ads are also affected.

We are an agency – what should we do?

As an agency, you have a responsibility to inform your clients and help them resolve the issues. Google sends the email to the account managing the advertising. We recommend proactively reviewing all your clients' websites and fixing issues before the deadline.

Can I contact Google directly if I have questions?

Yes. Google provides the contact address euucp-escalations@google.com in the email. You can also visit Google's policy help center.