CMP Validator error: Policy Reference

[SilverSpirit]

I use Google as my CMP in view of the 16 January requirement "Beginning January 16, 2024, publishers and developers using Google AdSense, Ad Manager, or AdMob will be required to use a Consent Management Platform (CMP)". In other terms, I have not changed anything except that I have removed my home-made popup about privacy policy, and I trust Google to deliver whatever messages it needs. I remember having done some Google privacy settings in the AdSense interface a few years ago, including a link to the Privacy Policy page on my websites; so I assumed that this will do the job

Today I learned about the tool "CMP Validator", which is a Chrome extension. I installed it on Chrome (which I never use). And bingo: the extension shows a report which is rather positive:

Technical Compliance Checks passed: 8, failed: 1, to do:3

That corresponds i.e. to the report I see for The Telegraph or other major websites.

However I am concerned about the "failed" checks. This is what "CMP Validator" tells about it:

TECHNICAL COMPLIANCE CHECKS: DID ALL CMP API REQUIRED COMMANDS RETURN A CORRECT RESPONSE?

Manual steps required for this check

This check fails if any of the following mandatory CMP API commands do not return an expected response: ping, AddEventListener, RemoveEventListener.

Policy Reference (TCF V2)

CMP API v.2.2 technical specification.

All CMPs must support the three required API commands: 'ping', 'AddEventListener', 'RemoveEventListener'.

Hmmmmmm I must admit I don't understand that clearly, as I even don't know what is an API and how to add commands. But I suppose that means: "In the Google popup, each website must have a link to its Policy page".

If the above is a correct assumption, where in the AdSense interface should I find a way to add these "required commands" and / or manually add a link to the Privacy Policy page on each of my websites?

[CommandDork]

There is a part of the process when setting up the CMP for a particular site where you assign your website to the new CMP you create. Here, you not only upload the logo of the site that can appear in the CMP prompt but you also input the direct link to the site's privacy policy.

For example, if you're creating a CMP from scratch in the Adsense interface, then click on "Select Sites" on the presented panel, it lists all of your Adsense sites. In the listing, you'll see you can "Add Site Name", "Add URL" (the privacy policy link), and "Add Logo". I'd double-check those settings.

[SilverSpirit]

Thanks, CommandDork. I did find the page where you can add a logo and a link to the Policy page in AdSense interface. Conform to my memory, the links to the Policy pages of each of my websites were present in the AdSense interface. I noticed however that, of the 3 available buttons

Consent, Manage options, and Do not consent

my sites had only the first two selected. Indeed, when checking my sites as a visitor from the EU, I saw that the

Do not consent

button does not appear, and also the link to the Privacy page of the website was nowhere to be found on the Google popup.

I have added the

Do not consent

button through the AdSense interface, waited 24 hours... and nothing has changed. When checking my sites as a visitor from the EU, I see the Google popup displaying only the 2 buttons

Consent, Manage options

, still no link to the Privacy page in the Google popup, and still the same exact error with "CMP Validator".

I am tempted to think that it is a Google bug and there is nothing I can do but wait. Agreed?