Google Consent Mode

Google Consent Mode enables web and app developers to modify the behavior of Google tags and SDKs based on users' consent preferences. When implemented, it allows Google services such as Google Analytics, Google Ads, Floodlight, and Conversion Linker to dynamically adjust their functionality in response to consent signals. This is achieved through defined consent types, which control specific aspects of how each product behaves depending on the user's choices.

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GCM is supported on Android Mobile, Android TV, and Fire TV.

Consent types include:

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For more information, see Google's documentation here: About consent mode

Setting up Google Consent Mode (GCM) for Android

1. Enable Google Consent Mode in your geolocation rules and map categories from the OneTrust CMP to Google storage types.

   1. 

2. Ensure the supported Google products (e.g. Firebase) have been installed on the app already.

3. Set default values for Consent Mode in your AndroidManifest.xml . Value can be set to true or false.

   XML

   <meta-data android:name="google_analytics_default_allow_analytics_storage" android:value="true" />
   <meta-data android:name="google_analytics_default_allow_ad_storage" android:value="true" />
   <meta-data android:name="google_analytics_default_allow_ad_user_data" android:value="true" />
   <meta-data android:name="google_analytics_default_allow_ad_personalization_signals" android:value="true" />
   

4. Query for Google Consent Mode consent statuses from the OneTrust SDK. getOTGoogleConsentModeData() will return an object containing the current status and values for each of the Google Consent types based on the mapping done in Step 1.

   Java

   new OTPublishersHeadlessSDK(MainActivity.this).getOTGoogleConsentModeData();
   

   
   

   Status type	Description
   NOT_INITIALIZED	Application calls method before a successful SDK initialization (at least once). Consent has not been collected.
   NOT_CONSENTED	Application calls method before user interacts with and dismisses the banner. Consent has not been collected.
   CONSENT_GIVEN	Application calls method after user has interacted with the banner. Consent has been collected.

   
   

   Consent type	Description
   UNASSIGNED	'Do not Assign Category' was mapped to this storage/consent type in the geolocation rules.
   UNDEFINED	The SDK was not initialized successfully at least once, data was not fetched, or the mapped category does not exist (no SDKs assigned).
   DENIED	Consent is rejected/withdrawn for the associated category.
   GRANTED	Consent is given/provided to associated category.

   Sample Response:

   //consent interaction status
   OTGoogleConsentModeData(
   sdkStatus=CONSENT_GIVEN,
                       
   //consent value of each storage type
   consentType=OTGoogleConsentType(
   analyticsStorage=GRANTED, 
   adStorage=GRANTED, 
   adUserData=GRANTED, 
   adPersonalization=GRANTED))                                     
   

5. Update the desired Google library from the consent retrieved in Step 4 with the setConsent() public method from Google.

   Java

   // Set consent types.
   Map<ConsentType, ConsentStatus> consentMap = new EnumMap<>(ConsentType.class);
   consentMap.put(ConsentType.ANALYTICS_STORAGE, ConsentStatus.GRANTED);
   consentMap.put(ConsentType.AD_STORAGE, ConsentStatus.GRANTED);
   consentMap.put(ConsentType.AD_USER_DATA, ConsentStatus.GRANTED);
   consentMap.put(ConsentType.AD_PERSONALIZATION, ConsentStatus.GRANTED);
   
   mFirebaseAnalytics.setConsent(consentMap);
   

As the application will need to retrieve the consents for each Consent type and set it in the Google library as indicated in steps 4 and 5, OneTrust has written a couple of functions to assist with and simplify the process:

1. These two functions will retrieve the Google Consent Mode consents from the OneTrust SDK and set the status in the associated Google product.

   Java

   private void setConsentToGoogleAnalytics() {
       OTGoogleConsentModeData otGoogleConsentModeData = new OTPublishersHeadlessSDK(MainActivity.this).getOTGoogleConsentModeData();
           Map<FirebaseAnalytics.ConsentType, FirebaseAnalytics.ConsentStatus> consentMap =
                   new EnumMap<>(FirebaseAnalytics.ConsentType.class);
           consentMap.put(FirebaseAnalytics.ConsentType.ANALYTICS_STORAGE,
                   getAnalyticsConsentStatus(otGoogleConsentModeData.getConsentType().getAnalyticsStorage()));
           consentMap.put(FirebaseAnalytics.ConsentType.AD_STORAGE,
                   getAnalyticsConsentStatus(otGoogleConsentModeData.getConsentType().getAdStorage()));
           consentMap.put(FirebaseAnalytics.ConsentType.AD_USER_DATA,
                   getAnalyticsConsentStatus(otGoogleConsentModeData.getConsentType().getAdUserData()));
           consentMap.put(FirebaseAnalytics.ConsentType.AD_PERSONALIZATION,
                   getAnalyticsConsentStatus(otGoogleConsentModeData.getConsentType().getAdPersonalization()));
           mFirebaseAnalytics.setConsent(consentMap);
   }
   
   private static FirebaseAnalytics.ConsentStatus getAnalyticsConsentStatus(OTGCMConsentStatus consentStatus) {
       FirebaseAnalytics.ConsentStatus fbTypeConsentStatus = FirebaseAnalytics.ConsentStatus.DENIED;
       if (consentStatus == OTGCMConsentStatus.GRANTED) {
           fbTypeConsentStatus = FirebaseAnalytics.ConsentStatus.GRANTED;
       }
       return fbTypeConsentStatus;
   }
   

2. OneTrust recommends calling the setConsentToGoogleAnalytics() function above when the OTConsentUpdated broadcast is triggered. OTConsentUpdated is triggered every time any OneTrust UI is dismissed and consent has been updated locally. More info on that method here.

   Java

   registerReceiver(OTConsentUpdated, new IntentFilter("OTConsentUpdated"));
   
   BroadcastReceiver OTConsentUpdated = new BroadcastReceiver() {
       setConsentToGoogleAnalytics();
   };
   

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For more information regarding consent mode setup, see Set up consent mode for apps.

Verifying consent settings

You can verify that your consent settings are working as intended by viewing the log messages for your app.

1. Enable verbose logging on your device.
2. In the Android Studio logcat, find the log message that starts with Setting consent. For example, if Ad storage is enabled, you'll see the following log message:

   Setting consent, ... AD_STORAGE=granted
   

Google Consent Mode for IAB TCF

Applications can be configured to instruct Google to interpret the IAB TC String in order to determine consent values for the following Consent Mode settings:

In the OneTrust platform, enable the Google Consent Mode toggle in geolocation rules using the IAB TCF template. When this configuration is enabled, the SDK will write the key IABTCF_EnableAdvertiserConsentMode to local storage and allows Google to automatically adjust its signal behavior according to TC String consents.

Google Consent Mode storage types are mapped to TCF purposes as follows:

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For more information about IAB TCF integration behavior with GCM, see Google's documentation Enable consent mode TCF integration.