GA4 Cookieless Tracking in 2024: Updates & Developments

As of July 1, 2023, Google officially sunset standard Universal Analytics (UA) properties. For Universal Analytics 360 properties, the final sunset date was July 1, 2024. While this transition has been in progress for some time, many tech companies are still adapting to the new analytics landscape. One of the most significant features of GA4 is its ability to collect data without relying on cookies, which is particularly relevant in our increasingly privacy-conscious digital world.

In this 2024 update, we'll explore how GA4 allows tech companies to gather valuable insights while respecting user privacy, focusing on behavioral modeling for Consent Mode and other key developments.

The Current Consent Landscape

With the implementation of privacy regulations like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in the European Union and CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) in the United States, tech companies have had to significantly adapt their data collection practices. These regulations have fundamentally changed how businesses approach user data, requiring explicit consent for data collection and providing users with more control over their personal information.

GA4 addresses these challenges through innovative approaches to data collection and analysis. It's designed to be more flexible and privacy-centric, allowing businesses to gather meaningful insights while complying with various regional privacy laws. The key privacy challenges addressed by GA4:

• Cookie Restrictions: Many users now opt out of cookie tracking, limiting traditional analytics methods.
• Data Localization: Some regulations require data to be stored within specific geographic regions.
• User Consent Management: Businesses need to respect and act on user consent choices dynamically.
• Data Minimization: There's a growing need to collect only necessary data, adhering to privacy-by-design principles.

Consent Mode: The Foundation of Privacy-Centric Analytics

Google's Consent Mode, a crucial feature in GA4, allows websites to adjust data collection based on user consent choices. It supports various types of cookies, including:

• ad_storage (e.g., advertising cookies)
• analytics_storage (e.g., analytics cookies)
• functionality_storage (e.g., language settings)
• personalization_storage (e.g., user preferences)
• security_storage (e.g., authentication)

Importantly, Consent Mode is not a Consent Management Platform (CMP) itself but works in conjunction with your existing CMP solution:

1. When a user visits a website, they're presented with consent options through the site's CMP.
2. The user's choices are communicated to Google's tags via Consent Mode.
3. GA4 adjusts its data collection behavior based on these consent signals.
4. Consent Mode continuously checks for changes in user consent, adapting in real-time.

How GA4 Collects Data with Consent Mode

Unlike Universal Analytics, GA4 fires its tag in all situations, but the data collection and processing behaviors change based on the user's consent choice. When a user doesn't accept cookie tracking, GA4 uses "cookieless pings" to collect non-personally identifiable data, including:

• Timestamps
• User agents
• Referrers
• GCLID or DCLID parameters
• Consent states and CMP information
• Randomly generated numbers for each page load

This cookieless approach ensures that basic analytics can still be performed without compromising user privacy or violating consent choices. The benefit of this? Insights from users who opt out of cookies are not entirely lost, but it still aligns with privacy regulations by respecting user choices.

Behavioral Modeling in GA4

GA4 uses advanced machine learning to model data for users who don't consent to cookies. This innovative approach combines "observed data" (from users who accept cookies) with "modeled data" to provide a more comprehensive view of user behavior. So, how does this happen exactly?

1. GA4 collects and aggregates data from users who have consented to cookies.
2. Machine learning algorithms identify patterns and trends in the consented data.
3. These patterns are used to model likely behaviors of non-consenting users.
4. Modeled data is integrated with observed data to create a more complete analytics picture.

To qualify for behavioral data modeling, websites need to meet specific criteria:

• Consent mode active on all pages
• Minimum 1,000 daily events from users denying analytics_storage cookies for at least seven days
• Minimum 1,000 daily users for at least seven of the past 28 days

2024 Updates and Developments

Google introduced several updates throughout 2024, including plenty that impact GA4:

1. Enhanced Conversion Modeling: Google improved its conversion modeling algorithms, providing more accurate insights for users who opt out of cookies.
2. Server-Side Tracking: GA4 now offers more robust server-side tracking options, reducing reliance on client-side cookies and improving data accuracy.
3. Improved Integration with Google Consent Mode v2: This update provides more granular control over data collection based on user consent choices.
4. Advanced Machine Learning Features: GA4 introduced new predictive metrics and audience segments powered by machine learning, offering deeper insights into user behavior.
5. Privacy-Centric Reporting: New reporting features in GA4 focus on aggregated and anonymized data, aligning with global privacy standards.
6. Deprecation of Universal Analytics Features: Starting January 29, 2024, Google began deprecating several UA features, including Realtime reports, Lifetime Value report, and Cohort Analysis. In early March 2024, additional features were deprecated, particularly for traffic in the European Economic Area.
7. Final UA Shutdown: As of July 1, 2024, all access to Universal Analytics properties, including UA 360, was terminated.
8. Manual Traffic Source Dimensions: GA4 added 8 new manual traffic source dimensions for enhanced paid and organic traffic analysis.
9. Trend Change Detection Insights: This feature identifies significant, long-term changes in website or application data, helping businesses spot important shifts in user behavior.
10. Consolidated Advertising Section: GA4 updated the Advertising section to consolidate all necessary advertiser and publisher-related reports into a single panel.