Google Will Use IP Addresses for Ads in Europe Starting August 2026

Google will begin using IP addresses for ad measurement and personalization across the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, and Switzerland on or shortly after August 3, 2026, according to BleepingComputer. The move expands how Google uses data it already receives from advertisers and websites, raising fresh privacy concerns among regulators and privacy advocates.

Google already collects IP addresses through customer tags, software development kits (SDKs), HTTP requests, and advertiser uploads. These IP addresses have traditionally been used to route traffic, prevent fraud, and deliver advertising services. Under the new policy, Google will also use them to help identify devices for advertising measurement and personalization purposes.

The change is significant because IP addresses are classified as personal data under both UK and European privacy laws. As a result, any use of IP addresses for advertising purposes must comply with strict consent and transparency requirements.

Google Expands Device Identification Capabilities

As part of the rollout, Google plans to register under the IAB Europe Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) for Feature 3. This feature covers identifying devices based on automatically transmitted information, including IP addresses and similar technical signals.

Google notes that Feature 3 itself is not a consent mechanism. However, when IP-based identification supports personalized advertising, advertisers must still obtain valid user consent before processing that data for personalization purposes.

The company says the update aligns with its broader privacy-focused advertising strategy, which increasingly relies on technologies designed to limit direct access to personal information.

Google highlighted several technologies that will support the initiative, including on-device processing, trusted execution environments (TEEs), secure multi-party computation (SMPC), and privacy-enhancing advertising measurement systems.

According to Google, some IP-based personalization features will not arrive immediately and are expected to roll out later in 2026 or during early 2027.

Privacy Concerns Remain

While Google presents the changes as part of a privacy-focused advertising framework, critics argue that combining IP addresses with other technical signals may increase the ability to track users across services and devices.

The timing has also attracted attention because the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) recently advised the government to maintain mandatory consent requirements for cross-service tracking and user profiling.

For now, Google says advertisers remain responsible for ensuring compliance with privacy regulations and the company’s EU User Consent Policy. Advertisers operating in affected regions must obtain valid consent before using data for personalized advertising.

Google also plans to introduce dedicated controls that will allow users to manage IP-based personalization preferences across Google services. Those controls are expected to arrive later in the rollout.

Until then, users can reject non-essential cookies when presented with consent banners, review and modify their advertising preferences in Google’s My Ad Center, and limit personalized advertising through existing Google account settings.

More Regulatory Pressure for Google

The advertising update arrives during a period of increased scrutiny for Google in the UK and Europe.

Recently, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ordered Google to increase transparency around how Search rankings work and provide businesses with clearer information about ranking systems and complaint processes.

At the same time, the UK government is moving forward with plans to ban social media access for users under the age of 16, introducing stricter age-verification requirements across major online platforms.

Together, these developments highlight growing regulatory pressure on large technology companies as governments seek greater transparency, stronger privacy protections, and increased accountability for digital platforms.