HighChecked on every planUS · EU
Ads tracking ignores Global Privacy Control
Do websites have to honour Global Privacy Control (GPC)?
Yes, if California’s privacy law applies and you share data for ads. A Global Privacy Control signal (a browser “do not sell” setting) counts as an opt-out there. Don’t load ad trackers for that visitor. Sephora was fined in 2022 for ignoring it.
4%of 168 European shops did this (7)
No. 3most common high problem in the study
Why it matters
California requires businesses that sell or share personal data to treat GPC as a valid opt-out, and Colorado, Connecticut and other states have similar rules. California has fined companies for ignoring it. In the EU, the GDPR also lets people object by automated signals.
How to fix it
- Turn on your consent tool’s GPC setting, so advertising tags don’t load when the browser sends GPC.
- Or check navigator.globalPrivacyControl before loading ad pixels, and treat the visitor as opted out.
- Optionally show “Opt-Out Request Honored” so visitors can see it worked.