Google AdSense and Cookies (Cookie Law) email

EU Cookies

[Badger37]

Hi all,
I've just received an email from Google regarding AdSense and Cookies.
Cookie Law came in a couple of years ago and seems mostly to be a waste or time and just another irritation to website visitors. I was hoping that it would quietly go away!

The email from Google reads as if you now have to implement a 'consent mechanism' if you have already - are other people receiving these emails and what are peoples views (especially if they are in the UK like me).

I've put the Google email text below.
Thanks.



Google Ads Policy Team
Dear Publisher,

We want to let you know about a new policy about obtaining EU end-users’ consent that reflects regulatory and best practice guidance. It clarifies your duty to obtain end-user consent when you use products like Google AdSense, DoubleClick for Publishers and DoubleClick Ad Exchange.

Please review our new EU user consent policy as soon as possible. This requires that you obtain EU end users’ consent to the storing and accessing of cookies and other information, and to the data collection, sharing and usage that takes place when you use Google products. It does not affect any provisions on data ownership in your contract.

Please ensure that you comply with this policy as soon as possible, and not later than 30 September 2015.

If your site or app does not have a compliant consent mechanism, you should implement one now. To make this process easier for you, we have compiled some helpful resources at cookiechoices.org.

This policy change is being made in response to best practice and regulatory requirements issued by the European data protection authorities. These requirements are reflected in changes that have been recently made on Google’s own websites.
Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.
Regards,
The Google Policy Team

[Leosghost]

We know that..this is not about what the EU law is ..this is about Google trying to pretend what the EU law is..
it is Google threatening people's adsense accounts if they do not do this ..the EU doesn't require it..unless one is EU based..this was said ( by myself and others )right at the beginning of the thread..

[vegasrick]

Who did Adsense threaten because I don't know of anyone? That said, I don't know anyone who they've even emailed.

[azlinda]

It appears that the EU is screwing everything else up. They may as well mess with our websites too.

[ember]

That said, I don't know anyone who they've even emailed.

It seems that they emailed EU-based sites but no one else.

[Broadway]

This whole issue, the stealth change of a significant obstacle to hurdle in the TOS, just reeked.
Another example of Google/Adsense just dumping on publishers as a whim.
Wasn't there a frat-boy scene in the movie Animal House where one guy was being paddled and then said "Thank you sir, I'll take another."?
I just looked at my Media.net stats. Ad/Impression RPM for them is 75% of Adsense, and I delegate them only to the bottom half of my pages. When am I going to wise up?

[Leosghost]

That said, I don't know anyone who they've even emailed.

It seems that they emailed EU-based sites but no one else.

@ember ..that is the second time that you haven't remembered what netmeg and others who are not EU based have reported..in this very thread..it is only 11 pages long..not so hard to read from the beginning..page 1 onwards
Some non EU based adsense publishers got this too and netmeg ( as reported in this thread further v back, for those who take the time to read from the beginning ) had direct feedback from Google..

@vegas rick..please read this thread from the beginning...page 1 onwards..those who were contacted posted..including the OP..whose post is on the top of every page of the thread..

@azlinda

It appears that the EU is screwing everything else up. They may as well mess with our websites too.

unless you are in the EU, the EU isn't asking you to do anything..and as far as I know you are not in the EU..nor is "the EU screwing everything else up"..not even going to ask you what you think it is doing, but why do so many think that politics has to be dragged into their posts..politics is not for WebmasterWorld..People here are from all, over the world..all different kinds of politics..we keep our politics to ourselves..please do likewise..

[robzach]

Just got this email, install it later.

[netmeg]

I've installed it on every site I'm gonna install it on (and I left a couple sites without it where I could just remove the AdSense if I had to - just to see if anything happens)

Once again, here's some reference links. Believe them or not, as you will. But yes, I did get confirmation from an actual honest to God AdSense rep:

[adsense.blogspot.com...]

[support.google.com...]

[smallbiztrends.com...]

[marketingland.com...]

[techcrunch.com...]

[truste.com...]

Happy Reading.

[darthtoon]

Have to admit I'm waiting until the last minute before implementing this.

Curious to know if anyone who's tried it already has noticed much of an impact on their Adsense CTR?

[ember]

@ember ..that is the second time that you haven't remembered what netmeg and others who are not EU based have reported..in this very thread..it is only 11 pages long..not so hard to read from the beginning..page 1 onwards

@Leosghost, I guess that, unlike you, I do not have time to sit here and read 11 pages of comments. I am busy running a site, holding a job, raising kids, looking after a parent, managing a trust, managing a rental property and taking care of a dog. I'll try to do better.

[Leosghost]

@ember
I always read threads from the beginning, as as they grow longer, I remember what I've read before..( and I really don't have much free time too, but I read real fast..) I'm just trying to avoid people thinking that it is applicable EU website owners only..I would n't want anyone here ( including you* : ) to lose their accounts because they did think that it doesn't apply to them..

*That is a lot to handle, you have my sympathies, I've been there ( all except for the running a "trust" part, and I work for myself..
kids and parents can be very very demanding..Mme leosghost looks after Alzheimers patients in their own homes as her job nowadays, I do a lot of free stuff for them errands and repairs and such..but I'm mostly nocturnal ;) I get by on around 5 or 6 hours sleep a night, except on the weekends.. so I read here , and code etc mostly at night..fewer distractions..I'm sorry if it came across a bit harsh..I was in a "difficult thread" at the same time as I posted in this one..some irritation spilled over..mea culpa.

[MrSavage]

Am I the only one who is finding the path of least resistance to this compliance is just by removing adsense from a site? In some instances, based on earnings potential, removing the ads all together seems like killing two birds with one stone. Has this been a consideration for anyone else? I'm not talking about reasonable earning sites, but certainly I have some sites that are deadsville in terms of adsense revenue generation.

[screamingmidget]

Am I the only one who is finding the path of least resistance to this compliance is just by removing adsense from a site?

I'd say that's obviously only down to people who make pennies. Many of us are not in that boat though and make a decent income, hence the thread.

[jpch]

Am I the only one who is finding the path of least resistance to this compliance is just by removing Adsense from a site?

Not at all as that's exactly what I did with an old site that was getting less than 1000 page views/day and making less than $8/day from AdSense. While I relaize that could be a significant amount for some people you have to realize this site was built with something other than WordPress and to update everything site wide requires me updating every single page with new code. I've slowly been killing this site off over the years anyway and moving content to new site so the cookie law was kind of the final blow to any attempt I was making at maintaining it. I replaced the AdSense ads on the few remaining pages with some affiliate ads that shouldn't require updating for quite some time so it will still generate some revenue.

[Badger37]

@darthtoon
Curious to know if anyone who's tried it already has noticed much of an impact on their Adsense CTR?

I'm happy to say it doesn't seem to have had any impact on my sites :)

Like many, my earnings are 'up and down' - but adding this banner hasn't hurt me, I'm actually having a better month so far...

[screamingmidget]

Badger37 without trawling through the previous pages, what method have you gone with?

[Ironside]

Is this what they are talking about

[demo.web357.eu...]

[Leosghost]

No..that is talking about the EU webmaster's version for joomla.. Google now says all adense publishers ( wherever they are based in the world ) must give a "cookie notice"..see netmeg's post #4769257 for details..

[Ironside]

I am still completely at a loss, as somebody got a demo available so I can see something working. If I can see what people are talking about it will be easier to implement.

[Badger37]

@screamingmidge
Badger37 without trawling through the previous pages, what method have you gone with?

On one site I'm using a tweaked version of SilkTide's script.
Messed with the CSS to fit my site and it also closes automatically if the visitor browses to another page.

On another site I'm using a 'hide div' script rather than something originally written for cookies - details posted earlier if you are interested.
This script gives much more control and is simple to implement - and works nicer with very old pages (running in quirksmode).