Introducing AppsFlyer’s Google DMA-ready SDK

The Digital Markets Act (DMA), a visionary policy by the European Union, is dramatically reshaping the digital landscape for advertising in the European Economic Area (EEA). It’s aiming its sights on dominant tech players, referring to them as “gatekeepers”—which include giants like Google, Meta, Apple, and others with each required to adapt accordingly.

Google, a leading force in the advertising arena, must now overhaul its user data policies and enhance its transparency within the tech sector. 

The introduction of the DMA gives consumers greater options and control in regards to privacy and how their data is used, pushing advertisers towards navigating a significant transition—where AppsFlyer’s SDK and its built-in integration with Consent Management Platforms (CMP) is proving to be critical.

In this post, we’ll quickly unpack how the DMA impacts advertisers, Google’s DMA approach, how advertisers need to comply with these requirements, and AppsFlyer’s role in helping advertisers keep up with the relevant changes and updates. 

Impact of the DMA on the advertising sector

Although the DMA doesn’t refer to companies other than the gatekeepers, this special group has to establish new methodologies to comply with the DMA. In turn, advertisers leveraging Google’s vast advertising networks also need to adapt, this time to comply with the search giant’s own adaptation.  

Within this new framework, advertisers are tasked with actively handling consent indications when sharing data with Google’s advertising channels. (more on this further ahead).

Failing to provide required consent signals, advertisers risk missing out on accurate measurement and remarketing capabilities within the EU, harming their attribution and custom audience/segment targeting as a whole. Therefore, missing consent info (due to delayed implementation or adoption) may impact audience size on Google when EEA users are involved.

How do advertisers comply with Google DMA

Aligning with the upcoming demands of the DMA, Google is modifying its approach to user consent solicitation throughout the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA), with a focus on transparent data utilization practices. 

Advertisers will have to adapt to a revised standard operating procedure—one that necessitates sharing consent metrics, manually or through the use of a CMP.

Google will require advertisers to initially ascertain if their target user is situated in the EU and EEA, and should it be affirmative, they must then provide two pivotal consent-related variables:

• ad_personalization_enabled=true/false: To represent user approval for personalized advertising.
• ad_user_data_enabled=true/false: To represent consent for employing user data in advertising strategies.

AppsFlyer: A proactive player offering a CMP-compatible SDK

AppsFlyer has updated its solution to help advertisers meet the DMA’s new requirements through the newly released SDK.

The SDK extends beyond the realm of mere consent data assistance with CMP integration built-in. This addition makes it easier to comply by facilitating smooth collection of Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF) data, reducing the need for advertisers to manually send user consent details to Google. (while manual collection is also available to advertisers not using CMPs).

The design of AppsFlyer’s SDK is finely tuned to collect and relay consent information, streamlining advertisers’ duty to comply with regulatory mandates. This support system is indispensable for a smooth transition of user consent details, a necessity amidst the emerging advertising framework instituted by Google.

Harnessing change and maintaining market leadership with AppsFlyer

The DMA heralds a new era and yet another transformation. Google’s alterations may be crafted to benefit end-users yet also introduce fresh challenges for advertisers. 

AppsFlyer is actively engaging with Google and other influential gatekeepers to craft and deliver practical solutions for advertisers while retaining an impartial and unbiased stance among advertisers, networks, and publishers.

The road ahead may be challenging , but recognizing AppsFlyer as a dependable and leading MMP simplifies the process for marketers as they try to maneuver through DMA intricacies.

As privacy norms continuously evolve, driving the sector towards enhanced transparency and fortifying a user’s choice, AppsFlyer commits to empowering advertisers not only to stay abreast of these shifts but also to thrive, guaranteeing persistent measurement accuracy and continuity.