Do you need Consent Mode to run Google Ads in the EU?
Short answer: effectively yes. Google now requires Consent Mode v2 to keep using data from EU and UK users for ad personalisation and measurement. Without it, your campaigns there quietly degrade.
What Google actually requires
To keep using EU/UK user data for remarketing audiences and conversion measurement, Google needs the two Consent Mode v2 signals (ad_user_data and ad_personalization) passed from a consent banner. No valid signals, and Google stops using that data, even from people who consented.
What breaks without it
- Remarketing audiences stop growing and shrink.
- Conversion data for EU traffic drops, worsening optimisation.
- Over time, smart bidding has less to work with, so performance drifts.
How to set it up right
Use a certified consent banner that supports Consent Mode v2, confirm all four signals update on accept and reject, and run advanced mode so Google can model the gaps. If you enabled it and results dropped, see why Consent Mode v2 stopped your ads tracking.
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