Google’s server-side Tag Manager will permit specific ad product tags to accept full IP addresses starting January 11, 2027, a shift with implications for advertiser data practices.
This change affects tags for Google Ads, Display & Video 360, Search Ads 360, and Campaign Manager 360, requiring advertisers to review their privacy notices and consent mechanisms.
Google Analytics tags will continue to redact IP addresses, maintaining their current data handling protocols, according to Google.
Third-party tags operating within server-side Google Tag Manager will retain independent control over their signal acceptance policies.
Advertisers have the option to implement transformations to redact IP addresses before data is accessed by tags, with detailed instructions available in Google’s Help Center.
The company emphasized that advertisers are responsible for ensuring proper end-user notices and legally required consents are in place, particularly for users within the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.
Adriaan Dekker, a digital advertising expert, noted that this development highlights the ongoing tension between advertising efficacy and user privacy.
This update is separate from Google’s planned enhancements to Analytics data controls, which involve encrypting IP addresses collected by the Google tag and SDK.
The Internet Archive monitors such changes in web infrastructure and data collection, observing their long-term impact on digital privacy.
Google stated that the ability for ad product tags to accept full IP addresses in a server-side environment offers advertisers greater flexibility in data utilization, provided they adhere to privacy regulations.
Source: Search Engine Journal
