Google to use UK and EU user IP addresses for ad personalization

Key Points:

• Google plans to use IP addresses for ad measurement and personalization in the UK and EU starting August 3, 2026, which raises privacy concerns under GDPR as IP addresses are considered personal data.
• This change may impact advertisers who must ensure compliance with EU User Consent Policy, as user consent will be necessary for IP-based personalization, potentially complicating ad strategies.
• Security teams should prepare for increased scrutiny on data handling practices and ensure robust consent mechanisms are in place to avoid regulatory penalties.

Technical Details: Google's shift involves utilizing IP addresses received through various means (customer tags, SDKs, HTTP calls) for device identification. This practice aligns with fingerprinting techniques that track devices when cookies are not available.

MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: None mentioned

IOCs Mentioned: None mentioned