By the way, these are Wordpress sites, so any simple Wordpress plugin, will hopefully be fine.

Examples of allowed texts can be found at [cookiechoices.org...]

Important is that the visitor can both accept and deny cookies with the same amount of effort, that cookies are only placed after the consent is given, and in case of Google AdSense, that a list of all third parties using cookies is presented to the visitor.

Examples of allowed texts can be found at [cookiechoices.org...]

Important is that the visitor can both accept and deny cookies with the same amount of effort, that cookies are only placed after the consent is given, and in case of Google AdSense, that a list of all third parties using cookies is presented to the visitor.

I'm now currently using as from today: [uniconsent.com...]

Has anybody used this?

Ads only appear after consent is given. If they Reject the ads aren't shown.

£50 a month though, so still hoping there will be free versions around if anybody is aware of any?

Is that even wanted?
The way i see it. Or:
A) they get tracked and see relevant ads.
B) they don't get tracked and see irrelevant ads.

GDRP says nothing about you not showing ads. It's your right to show them.

Is that even wanted?
The way i see it. Or:
A) they get tracked and see relevant ads.
B) they don't get tracked and see irrelevant ads.

GDRP says nothing about you not showing ads. It's your right to show them.

You've lost me.

relevant / irrelevant

From what you are saying, it means that ads are random. This is wrong.

You have 2 types of ads:
- interest based ads, which are relevant to the profile of each visitor,
- contextual ads, which are relevant to the content of the page,

Eventually, there might be a 3rd type of ads, which are targeting global and generic audience, but that is the choice of the advertisers, and for them, they are "relevant" for their goal.

So, there is no such thing as "irrelevant" ads.

To the OP, if you disable interest based ads in Europe, you still need to obtain the explicit consent of EU visitors, because of the cookies that Adsense is creating anyhow. These cookies are not exactly trackers-trackers, but they do track anyhow, since they count and control the showing of ads.

Then the question is, why disable interest based ads, if you still need a "cookie" banner. The answer is that, it's still easier to comply with requirements, and therefore less "risky". Personally, I have enough problems on my own, so I avoid adding more "risks".

To the OP, if you disable interest based ads in Europe, you still need to obtain the explicit consent of EU visitors, because of the cookies that Adsense is creating anyhow. These cookies are not exactly trackers-trackers, but they do track anyhow, since they count and control the showing of ads.

Then the question is, why disable interest based ads, if you still need a "cookie" banner. The answer is that, it's still easier to comply with requirements, and therefore less "risky". Personally, I have enough problems on my own, so I avoid adding more "risks".

As I wasn't getting any help from anybody, I decided to just go it alone.

I found consentmanager and Uniconsent.

Uniconsent I currently have on one of my sites and so far so good, it seems to work pretty much out of the box. A colleague in Australia, doesn't see the cookie banner, those in the UK for example, do - if they 'Reject All', the Adsense doesn't appear - if they Accept, the ads appear.

So it seems to work. The downside - their support is below average, and that's being kind.

I've contacted consentmanager and they seemed a hell of a lot more helpful, and so as I have several websites, I plan on using that on one of the others, so I compare. It's cheaper too - 50 euros per month.

It does beg the question though, if there are totally free options for Wordpress as a plugin, that will do the same as the 2 above paid options.

I don't expect anybody will help, so again, I'll keep looking. Thankfully, I have until the backend of July to sort it.

I hope that Adsense will come in the future with the ability to show ads even when consent is not given for cookies. While Adsense is completely dependent on cookies we all lose.

I hope that Adsense will come in the future with the ability to show ads even when consent is not given for cookies. While Adsense is completely dependent on cookies we all lose.

I sorted it after contacting Google direct. A very helpful chap basically told me what I had to do - it was down to the wording, and he also told me, Google aren't fully enforcing this, although warned there may come a time, when consent may need to be given.

Basically - if you show ads, regardless of what the user selects, it's still ok by Google. They just want people to be aware of the interest-based ads being shown.

Makes sense I guess - they'll only really enforce it, if they believe they are being enforced.

Makes sense I guess - they'll only really enforce it, if they believe they are being enforced.

No that makes no sense. The reason they don't enforce it is because it is not their job to do so. You show the banner and you show the ads. If the ads shown are not in accordance to the user selection you are at fault not Google. You face fines related to GDPR. Google will simply say, "we provided the tools, we can not force publishers to use them or use them correctly."

The first question to ask, does GDPR apply to you? The EU would like you believe that it applies to anyone and everyone, but that isn't the case.
If it does apply the next questions are:
What is the cost of following these regulations?
What is the cost if you get caught not following the regulations?
What is the probability of getting caught?
What is the probability that the EU will be able to enforce a judgment against you?
What is the cost of defending yourself/business in the event that there is a complaint against you?

Only you can answer these questions as it pertains to your website, with that information you can then make an informed decision as to how to proceed. Don't depend on Google to make these decisions for you.

I got it too now:

Action Needed
Please check the site(s) or app(s) listed in the attached file and take action to ensure they comply with our Policy. We will re-review your site(s) or app(s) regularly and monitor your account.
We may take action, including suspension, if the Policy violations have not been resolved by Oct 7, 2021.

#*$! got serious.

@SweetPotato

One thing that really annoyed me... using consentmanager and Uniconsent.

DON'T! They both drove me around the bend with half arses bits of help. Completely useless.

All you need to do is add an alert with the correct messaging banner and include a link to:
[policies.google.com...]

I found this out by contacting the contact email address that should be in your email from Google.

Maybe I was fortunate, but the person replying was very helpful and didn't talk in Chinese - he actually told me what was needed.

He also said Google isn't currently enforcing it, but to be prepared in the future, as it may happen.

Well they are threatening suspension if not resolved by x date so they are pretty much enforcing it to my account.
Now i did their recommend method > [support.google.com...]

Because I'm sure if i do a custom method they will find something to complain.

@SweetPotato

That happened in my email to - but as I say, the chap said they actually aren't enforcing it. That's from a Google employee and he never had to tell me that. I think it's because I put across a genuine email saying I was a bit worried about it all.

I took from that, that Google is warning people so they shift their backside.

I don't think they actually agree with all this, as much as every other sane person who runs their own website.

But change the wording and link to the URL I gave you above. That link seems to be mandatory.

Are you just doing an alert only or are you making sure the cookies do not download until the person agrees to allow them?

This is the thing - on one of my sites, it's an alert only. On the other it attempts to hide the ads. This just shows how Google aren't that bothered.

My advice? Stick an option up to allow people to hide ads - whether the function actually works or not, Google won't give a toss. Don't stress yourself over it.

[edited by: not2easy at 1:38 pm (utc) on Aug 20, 2021]
[edit reason] ToS #14, #19 [/edit]

It's not a matter of showing ads or hiding them, it's a matter of dropping cookies or not.

ps: this is where I (finally) find interesting the first party cookies; because we can delete them ourselves if a visitor changes his mind.

It isn't. It's a case of making Google happy - see the original post.

Whether the functionality works or not, even Google aren't bothered.

Oh? Because you believe that Google is asking this, because this is pleasing them?

I hope for you that you are not a European registered business, considering how EU privacy protection groups are now running bots to test all EU sites and automatically open procedures ...

Whether the functionality works or not, even Google aren't bothered.

You are not completely wrong, but you are far from being right.

As I mentioned above, it is not Google's job to enforce GDPR so in that respect it is true that Google doesn't care what you do. But, when your use of Google's services causes Google to run a fowl of the law (GDPR in this case, but really any law), Google will swiftly take action or even cut you off. Thus it is up to you to determine the risk you are willing to take, ignore Google's warnings/recommendations or follow the law regardless of what Google says.

After the warning, I started using GDPR from Google, the one within the Adsense account that Adsense itself offers us, and although I was skeptical about how it would affect my earnings, to my surprise the CPC increased (probably due to interesting relative ads ), and the CTR decreased slightly, so my experience with implementing the GDPR cookie alert is positive.