Google’s Upcoming Analytics & Ads Changes: Why You Need to Audit Consent Mode Before 15th June 

Google is rolling out major updates that reshape how data is governed across Google Analytics (GA4) and Google Ads. These changes streamline duplicated controls, strengthen privacy enforcement, and shift more responsibility to Consent Mode – especially the ad_storage parameter. 

For brands, this means one thing: your Consent Mode setup becomes mission‑critical. 

What’s Changing 

1. Google Signals Control Moves Fully to Consent Mode (15th June 2026) 

From June 15, Consent Mode becomes the sole authority for determining whether Google Ads cookies and identifiers can be collected. 

• If ad_storage = granted, full tracking is allowed. 
• If ad_storage = denied, only anonymous pings are sent — dramatically limiting Ads measurement and optimisation. 

The Google Signals toggle in GA4 will only control whether Analytics can associate data with signed‑in Google users for reporting. 

2. Ads Personalisation Will Be Controlled Exclusively in Google Ads (Later in 2026) 

Google is consolidating personalization settings so that Ads becomes the single decision-maker for how Analytics data is used in ad personalisation. Consent Mode’s ad_personalization setting will govern this. 

3. IP Address Handling Is Changing 

Google tags will continue to collect IP addresses, but they will be encrypted and passed to Google Ads, which will determine how they’re used based on Ads account settings. 

Why This Matters for Your Business 

These updates place Consent Mode — and specifically the ad_storage parameter — at the centre of your measurement strategy. If ad_storage isn’t implemented correctly, or if consent is denied by default, your Ads performance data will degrade significantly. 

This is especially important for: 

• conversion modelling 
• remarketing 
• audience building 
• attribution accuracy 

What You Need to Do Now 

Audit your Consent Mode setup ahead of the 15th June deadline. 

This includes: 

• verifying that ad_storage is firing correctly 
• ensuring consent defaults align with your legal and performance needs
• checking that consent signals are passed consistently across all pages
• confirming that GA4 and Google Ads are receiving the same consent state 

If you’d like support reviewing or upgrading your Consent Mode implementation, our team can help ensure you’re fully prepared before the deadline.