How does the Digital Markets Act affect Google advertisers?

The Digital Markets Act affects Google advertisers mainly through changes Google makes to its services and data-use requirements as a designated gatekeeper. An advertiser does not become a gatekeeper simply by using Google Ads.

Alphabet was among the first gatekeepers designated on 6 September 2023. The compliance deadline for those initial designations was 7 March 2024.

For advertisers using relevant Google tags and SDKs with EEA users, Google requires consent collection and the communication of consent signals for specified advertising and measurement uses.

Google’s official EEA consent-mode guidance explains two additional signals:

These signals form part of Google Consent Mode v2. They should reflect the visitor’s actual choices through the website’s consent management platform.

The DMA does not itself prescribe these parameter names or require every advertiser to buy a particular CMP. These are implementation requirements within Google’s services. Correct signal transmission also does not independently establish valid consent or complete legal compliance.