In the ever-changing landscape of mobile privacy, Google's latest move has sent ripples across the entire mobile ad industry. As of January 16, 2024, the rules of consent management for advertising purposes have changed for good. Join us as we delve into the recent changes and what app developers might expect following the shift to CMP-as-a-must.
How It Started: GDPR Aftermath
Since the GDPR's rollout in 2018, the scramble to secure user consent on mobile was real. However, a standardized approach was as elusive as the perfect storm. The IAB's TCF 1.1 attempt and Google's own version of the consent signals were close but missed the GDPR compliance mark. App developers, caught up in the uncertainty of interoperability, resources, and performance impact, brushed aside the task of proper user consent management.
Fast forward to today, January 16, 2024, and the game has changed. Google - AdSense, Ad Manager, and AdMob - now mandate all app developers to use a Consent Management Platform (CMP) that has been certified by Google and has integrated with the IAB's Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) when serving ads to users in the European Economic Area and the UK. With Google dominating the mobile market, what was once a nice-to-have for app developers has turned into a must-have.
How It’s Going: New Era
For the ad-savvy app developer, compliance is the golden ticket. But what can app developers expect to happen come January 16th?
Now, when we finally have the collaborative mobile industry solution for targeted in-app advertising, app developers find their incremental revenue coming from SDK partners with direct brand demand. This has resulted in eCPMs growing as high as 60% fueled by the shift of major brand budgets—think Nestle, P&G, Ebay, Amazon, and others—towards in-app ads. The mobile app ecosystem finally seems trustworthy for major brands seeking specific audiences in a clean ad experience, not just installs, as most of the performance advertisers do.
When you have the CMP integrated (whether the one certified by Google or not), it’s crucial to inspect the partners' list in your CMP to ensure the performance and ad experience of your app are set to scale new heights. It must include every SDK vendor in your arsenal. Make sure the names are official: for example, you will find Digital Turbine named as “Fyber” on Google's own CMP.
Those apps without a verified CMP face a Google demand block. However, if you are late to the CMP party, other demand sources will still fill your ad placements even with no user consent in the Bid Request.
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