Cookie Consent.

Cookie consent is the process of informing website visitors about the cookies and tracking technologies used, and obtaining their informed agreement before non-essential cookies are set. Required by GDPR (in the EU), PECR (in the UK), CCPA (in California), and many other privacy laws, cookie consent must be specific, informed, and freely given—pre-ticked boxes, dark patterns, and making consent harder to decline than to accept are non-compliant.

Types of Cookies and Consent Requirements

Cookies are typically categorised as: Strictly Necessary (required for the site to function—no consent needed); Functional (remembers preferences—consent often required); Analytics (tracks usage—consent required under GDPR if identifiable); and Marketing/Advertising (tracks for targeting—consent required). Under GDPR, analytics cookies require prior consent before any data is collected—a strict interpretation that many sites still violate.

Consent Mode and Analytics

Google's Consent Mode v2 allows analytics and advertising tags to adjust their behaviour based on consent status: if a user declines analytics consent, GA4 operates in a cookieless mode that models behaviour rather than tracking individuals. Implementing Consent Mode correctly—with the consent default set before GTM loads—ensures compliance while preserving maximum modelled analytics data.