As of June 15, 2026, that assumption no longer holds. Google moved control of Google Ads data from the Google Signals setting to Consent Mode, specifically the ad_storage signal. If your consent setup is solid, you probably won't notice a difference. If it isn't, you may be sending data you didn't intend to, or losing data you need.
What changed
Before June 15, 2026: Two things jointly controlled whether advertising data from your GA4 tag could be used in Google Ads: the Google Signals setting in GA4 and the ad_storage consent signal. Many teams relied on Signals as the main control.
After June 15, 2026: ad_storage alone decides. If a visitor's ad_storage consent is granted, Google Ads can collect advertising cookies and identifiers, including linking activity to signed-in Google accounts, whether Google Signals is on or off.
| Control | What it governs now |
|---|---|
ad_storage | Whether advertising data from your Google tags flows into Google Ads |
analytics_storage | Standard GA4 data collection (unchanged) |
ad_user_data and ad_personalization | Sending user data to Google for ads, and personalized advertising (unchanged) |
| Google Signals | Some enhanced behavioral reporting inside GA4, such as demographics and interests for signed-in users |
In short, Google Signals is now a reporting feature, not a privacy control for ads.
Who should pay attention
- Anyone who switched off Google Signals for privacy reasons. That switch no longer stops advertising data from reaching Google Ads. Only your consent setup does.
- Sites without Consent Mode. If Consent Mode isn't implemented, Google's tags generally behave as though consent were granted. That makes Consent Mode the most urgent fix if you have visitors from regions where consent is required.
- Advertisers in the EEA and UK. Google requires Consent Mode for advertisers serving users in these regions, and GDPR sets a high bar for valid consent.
- Regulated industries. Healthcare, finance and other sensitive sectors should check whether cross-device linking raises compliance concerns and involve their legal teams.
- Teams with fragile consent setups. If your consent banner and GTM don't communicate reliably, the consequences of a broken handoff are now bigger.
A five-step consent audit
You can check the most important things yourself in an hour, using GTM's Preview mode and Tag Assistant.
1. Confirm Consent Mode is actually running. In GTM Preview mode, select the first event on a page and open the Consent tab. You should see the four consent types (ad_storage, analytics_storage, ad_user_data, ad_personalization) with default values. If they aren't there, Consent Mode isn't implemented.
2. Check your defaults. For visitors in regions where consent is required, such as the EEA and UK, ad_storage and analytics_storage should default to denied before the visitor makes any choice. Defaults should be set as early as possible, typically using GTM's Consent Initialization trigger or your consent platform's own template.
3. Test both choices. Accept all cookies and confirm the consent values update to granted. Then clear your cookies, decline, and confirm they stay denied. Watch for tags that fire before the consent update arrives.
4. Check the handoff between your consent banner and GTM. Your consent management platform (CMP) must pass the visitor's choice to Google's tags immediately and correctly. Confirm the update happens on the same page view, not only on the next page.
5. Review your GA4 and Google Ads link. In GA4, go to Admin > Product links > Google Ads links and confirm the link reflects what you intend. Then update your internal documentation so everyone understands that consent, not Google Signals, now controls advertising data.
Don't forget the paperwork
When data flows change, your privacy policy and cookie banner wording may need to change too. Make sure your disclosures accurately describe what happens when visitors grant advertising consent, including cross-device linking for signed-in Google users. This is a legal question, so loop in your legal or compliance team rather than editing it yourself.
What about data quality?
The change cuts both ways. Sites with a correct consent setup won't lose anything. But if your consent defaults are wrong or your CMP handoff is broken, you could see one of two problems:
- Data you shouldn't collect: tags treating visitors as consented when they never agreed.
- Data you lose: tags stuck on denied even after visitors accept, starving Google Ads of conversion data and hurting automated bidding.
If Google Ads conversions or remarketing audience sizes moved unexpectedly in mid-June 2026, a consent issue is worth investigating.
The bottom line
Google has made Consent Mode the single gate for advertising data from your Google tags to Google Ads. That's simpler in principle, but it puts all the weight on your consent implementation. Confirm Consent Mode is running, set the right defaults, test both accept and decline, and update your documentation. If your setup was already solid, this is a quick check. If it wasn't, now is the time to fix it.
Consent setups fail quietly: a banner that records choices but never updates the tags, or defaults set a page too late. Our Google Tag Manager consulting service can audit your Consent Mode implementation end to end and fix what it finds.
This post is general information, not legal advice. Consult your legal or privacy team about requirements for your business.
Sources: Usercentrics: Google Signals and Consent Mode changes 2026 · Piwik PRO: Google is changing how GA4 and Google Ads share data · MeasureMinds: Google Signals and Consent Mode
