This post was most recently updated on January 2nd, 2024

Consent management platforms (CMPs) have become an indispensable tool in the ever-evolving ad tech ecosystem. Since it is now important for every media company to follow privacy regulations like Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and Brazil’s General Personal Data Protection Law (LGPD), the importance of Consent Management Platforms has skyrocketed.

The ever-changing privacy regulations have placed publishers in a challenging position. Violating these regulations can lead to severe consequences. To address this complexity, implementing a reliable CMP is essential. By doing so, you ensure compliance and gain the trust and confidence of your website visitors. In this guide, we’ll explore the leading CMPs for 2024, making your decision-making process easier and more informed.

What is a Consent Management Platform (CMP)?

A consent management platform (CMP) is the process or system that administers and obtains the consent of the users of a website to hold personal data about them.

Originating in the medical industry, where systems needed to be developed to allow users to have control over their medical records, the use of consent management systems has accelerated in recent years due to the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) in the European Union and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in 2020. More territories have similar legislation under consideration.

The general idea with both pieces of legislation is that all users must give express consent that data collectors can hold their personal data, and they must be told why it is needed and how it will be used. They must also be given the ability to view the data held, and they can withdraw this consent at any time.

A CMP keeps track of users that have agreed to this policy, which can be re-confirmed periodically rather than on every website visit. Some CMPs also track consent rates and other statistics.

While CMPs only apply to users based in the territory covered by the respective legislation, it is a good idea for all publishers to implement some consent policy to future-proof themselves and also keep open all possible revenue channels (you don’t want certain advertisers to be prevented from bidding on impressions just because you don’t have consent management in place.

Consent Management Platforms (CMPs) Benefits and Functionalities:

A consent management platform (CMP) offers a streamlined solution for managing user consent and data protection requirements. These platforms empower publishers to meet legal obligations while maintaining a user-friendly website experience. Here’s a breakdown of their benefits and functionalities:

1. Consent Collection: CMPs provide publishers with the ability to collect and manage user consent for data processing activities on their websites. This includes obtaining explicit consent for cookies, personalized advertising, and other data-related practices.
2. Consent Preference Management: CMPs allow publishers to offer users granular control over their consent preferences. Users can choose which types of data processing they agree to, enabling personalized experiences while respecting their privacy choices.
3. Compliance with Privacy Regulations: CMPs help publishers comply with privacy regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, LGPD, and other regional laws. They ensure that publishers obtain valid and documented consents, maintain records, and respond to user requests, thus mitigating legal risks.
4. User Transparency and Information: CMPs enable publishers to provide clear and transparent information to users about their data collection and processing practices. This includes displaying easily accessible privacy policies, cookie banners, and consent management interfaces.
5. Consent Renewal and Expiry Management: CMPs assist publishers in managing consent renewals and expiration. They provide mechanisms to refresh consent periodically or based on user-defined timeframes, ensuring ongoing compliance and respecting user preferences over time.
6. Integration with Third-Party Services: CMPs facilitate integration with various third-party vendors and service providers involved in data processing. This allows publishers to manage consent for third-party cookies, data sharing, and tracking technologies more effectively.
7. Reporting and Audit Trails: CMPs offer reporting and auditing functionalities, enabling publishers to generate detailed reports on consent status, user preferences, and data processing activities. These reports help demonstrate compliance during audits and regulatory inquiries.
8. Flexibility and Customization: CMPs provide publishers with customizable options to match their branding and design requirements. They allow publishers to tailor consent interfaces and user experiences to align with their website’s look and feel.
9. Multi-Language and Geo-Targeting Capabilities: CMPs support multiple languages and enable geo-targeting, ensuring compliance and personalized consent experiences for users across different regions and languages.
10. Ongoing Updates and Compliance Monitoring: CMPs stay up to date with evolving privacy regulations and industry standards. They provide publishers with regular updates, ensuring ongoing compliance and adapting to changing requirements.

By leveraging the capabilities of a consent management platform, publishers can effectively manage user consents, enhance transparency, and demonstrate their commitment to privacy, fostering trust with their audience while meeting legal obligations.

The Top Consent Management Platforms (CMPs) for 2024 are:

 

1-OneTrust

OneTrust is a widely recognized and respected Consent Management Platform (CMP) that offers a range of features and benefits for publishers. Here are several reasons why OneTrust is considered a good CMP for publishers:

1. Comprehensive Compliance Solutions: OneTrust provides publishers with a comprehensive suite of compliance solutions, including consent management, data subject rights management, cookie consent, and vendor management. This ensures that publishers can address multiple aspects of privacy regulations within a single platform.
2. User-Friendly Interface: OneTrust offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface that makes it easy for publishers to navigate and utilize the platform. The CMP provides clear and accessible options for managing consent preferences, making it seamless for users to exercise control over their data.
3. Granular Consent Management: With OneTrust, publishers can implement granular consent management, allowing users to make specific choices about different data processing activities. This level of customization ensures that publishers can respect user preferences while still delivering personalized experiences.
4. Integration Capabilities: OneTrust offers seamless integration with various third-party services and platforms, making it easy for publishers to manage consent for cookies, analytics tools, advertising networks, and other data processors. This integration flexibility simplifies the implementation process for publishers.
5. Industry Recognition and Trust: OneTrust has gained significant recognition in the privacy industry and has established a reputation as a reliable and trustworthy CMP. Its widespread adoption by leading organizations indicates its effectiveness as a CMP for publishers.

2-KETCH

Ketch is a reputable Consent Management Platform (CMP) that offers several advantages for publishers. Here’s a brief analysis of why Ketch is considered a good CMP:

1. Privacy-First Approach: Ketch prioritizes privacy by design, ensuring that user data is protected and compliant with privacy regulations. Publishers can trust Ketch to help them navigate the complexities of data privacy and build trust with their audience.
2. Advanced Consent Management: Ketch allows for granular consent management, enabling publishers to offer users specific choices regarding data processing activities. This level of customization ensures compliance while delivering personalized experiences to users.
3. Flexibility and Integration: Ketch integrates seamlessly with various platforms and third-party services, empowering publishers to manage consent for cookies, analytics tools, and other data processors. This flexibility streamlines the implementation process for publishers.
4. Transparency and Control: Ketch enables publishers to provide transparent information to users about data collection and processing practices. Users can easily understand and control their privacy preferences, enhancing trust and engagement.
5. Support and Updates: Ketch offers dedicated support and meets the latest privacy regulations and industry standards. Publishers can rely on Ketch for regular updates, ensuring their CMP remains compliant and effective.

3-Cookiebot

Cookiebot is another Consent Management Platform (CMP) that offers unique features and capabilities that set it apart from other CMPs. Here’s why:

1. Automatic Cookie Detection: Cookiebot stands out with its advanced automatic cookie detection technology. It scans and identifies cookies and tracking technologies used on websites, providing publishers with comprehensive insights into their cookie inventory and ensuring accurate consent management.
2. Active Consent Mechanism: Cookiebot implements an active consent mechanism where users actively choose their preferences regarding cookies and tracking technologies. This approach aligns with the strictest interpretations of privacy regulations, providing publishers with a robust solution for obtaining compliant consent.
3. Global Reach and Compliance: Cookiebot is known for its global compliance coverage. It helps publishers adhere to various privacy regulations worldwide, including GDPR, ePrivacy Directive, CCPA, LGPD, and more. This broad compliance support makes Cookiebot a suitable choice for publishers with an international user base.
4. Real-time Consent Management: Cookiebot offers real-time consent management, enabling publishers to respond dynamically to changes in user preferences. Publishers can adjust consent options instantly and ensure that their data processing activities remain aligned with user choices.
5. Deep Customization Options: Cookiebot allows publishers to customize the consent interface and cookie banners to match their website’s design and branding. This level of customization ensures a seamless user experience that integrates smoothly with the overall website aesthetics.
6. Trustworthy Reputation: Cookiebot has gained a strong reputation for its commitment to privacy and compliance. Its widespread adoption by various organizations across different industries reflects its effectiveness and trustworthiness as a CMP.

Cookiebot differentiates itself through its automatic cookie detection, active consent mechanism, global compliance coverage, real-time consent management, customization options, security measures, scalability, regular updates, and its trustworthy reputation. These features make Cookiebot a distinctive choice for publishers seeking a comprehensive and compliant CMP solution.

4-DataGrail

Datagrail offers several features that can benefit publishers’ consent management and privacy compliance efforts. Here’s an analysis of some key features and how publishers can benefit from them:

1. Automated Data Subject Requests (DSRs): DataGrail automates the handling of data subject requests, such as access requests or deletion requests, streamlining the process for publishers. This saves time and effort for publishers, allowing them to address user requests while maintaining compliance efficiently.
2. Cookie Banner Customization: With DataGrail, publishers can customize their cookie banners to match their brand identity and design preferences. This feature ensures a seamless and consistent user experience while communicating transparently about the use of cookies and tracking technologies.
3. Policy Generation: DataGrail helps publishers generate and manage privacy policies. This feature assists publishers in keeping their policies up to date with evolving privacy regulations, providing transparency to users about data processing practices, and ensuring compliance with applicable laws.
4. Vendor Management: DataGrail enables publishers to manage their relationships with third-party vendors and data processors effectively. Publishers can track and monitor the data processing activities of these vendors, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations and data protection agreements.
5. Data Mapping and Inventory: Datagrail helps publishers create and maintain data inventories, mapping the flow of personal data across their systems and processes. This feature facilitates compliance with data protection regulations and enhances transparency in data processing practices.

5-Quantcast

Quantcast is a solid Consent Management Platform (CMP) that offers effective solutions to alleviate GDPR headaches for publishers. Here’s an analysis of why Quantcast is considered a reliable solution in addressing GDPR compliance challenges:

1. GDPR Expertise: Quantcast has extensive knowledge and expertise in GDPR compliance. They have dedicated resources and tools specifically designed to help publishers navigate the complexities of GDPR and ensure adherence to its requirements.
2. Consent Collection and Management: Quantcast CMP provides publishers with top-notch consent collection and management capabilities. It enables publishers to obtain valid and documented user consent for data processing activities, including cookies and tracking technologies, ensuring compliance with GDPR’s consent requirements.
3. Transparent Privacy Notices: Quantcast helps publishers display clear and transparent privacy notices to users. These notices provide detailed information about data processing activities, the purposes of processing, and the third parties involved. Transparent notices assist publishers in meeting GDPR’s transparency requirements.
4. Data Subject Rights Support: Quantcast offers features to facilitate the exercise of data subject rights as mandated by GDPR. It provides mechanisms for users to access, rectify, restrict, and delete their personal data, helping publishers fulfill their obligations and respond to data subject requests efficiently.
5. Documentation and Record-Keeping: Quantcast CMP assists publishers in maintaining proper documentation and record-keeping to demonstrate GDPR compliance. It provides audit logs and reports that track consent status, user preferences, and data processing activities, ensuring publishers can easily provide evidence of compliance when required.

What is MonetizeMore’s CMP?

MonetizeMore’s in-house CMP is called PubGuru Data Guard.

What is MonetizeMore’s consent rate?

The consent rate (the percentage of users that, when shown a dialogue box asking for consent to use their data, agree to give that consent) varies from publisher to publisher and from territory to territory. We have seen 85-90% rates consistently, with some publishers getting more than 95%.

When running PubGuru DataGaurd, publishers can also see how many users consented, the percentage of EU and non-EU traffic they received as well as the pop-up CTR in our Data Privacy Report. See the image below for an example:

How can I get more people to click ‘yes’?

Continue to improve the quality of the site and its usability, which will increase its standing. As your links get shared more and more, trust levels will increase. Personal recommendations like this will be much more likely to elicit positive responses to the consent management pop-up.

You can also look at changing the design of the pop-up. Make it fit the site in terms of design, add a logo, and make all the text clear and obviously personalized to your site. This encourages the user to consent, as it shows engagement. Our dashboard also allows these options.

Make sure your ad placements are GDPR compliant by following these tactics!

What Now?

Protecting user data and ensuring compliance with privacy regulations is a legal requirement and a way to build trust with your audience. Safeguarding their privacy is essential for a sustainable and successful online presence.

At MonetizeMore, we understand the importance of online privacy and consent management. Our seamless CMP tech integration simplifies the process, allowing you to focus on what you do best while ensuring compliance with privacy laws. Let us take care of your consent management, empowering you to scale your ad revenue without compromising user privacy.

Don’t let the complexities of consent management hold you back. Choose MonetizeMore as your trusted partner, and together, we’ll navigate the world of privacy regulations while maximizing your ad revenue potential.

Get in touch with us today to explore how we can elevate your consent management strategy and fuel your success!

 

FAQ

What to do for consent management?

1. Develop your own consent management platform from scratch (too time consuming!) 2. Sign up for a third-party CMP 3. Partner with an adtech company that manages your CMP as an addon while scaling your ad revenue.

What are the key considerations when selecting the right CMP?

Here are the key considerations when selecting the right CMP: 1. Compliance Assurance: Ensuring the selected CMP provides robust compliance features to meet privacy laws, mitigating legal risks and maintaining a trustworthy reputation. 2. Advanced Data Management: Look for a CMP that offers comprehensive data capturing capabilities, empowering personalized advertising campaigns and maximizing revenue potential. 3. Seamless Integration: Evaluate the CMP's ease of integration with existing systems and workflows, minimizing development efforts and streamlining consent management processes. 4. Data Utilization Expertise: Choose a CMP that not only captures data but also provides insights and tools for leveraging the collected data effectively, enabling targeted campaigns and optimizing CPMs. 5. Cost-Effectiveness: Consider the overall cost of the CMP solution, including subscription fees and resource allocation, ensuring a balance between value and budgetary constraints.