Microsoft Advertising is introducing new privacy requirements that advertisers targeting users in the UK, European Economic Area (EEA), and Switzerland must comply with by 5 May 2025. This change requires all advertisers using Universal Event Tracking (UET) to send explicit consent signals before collecting user data. The update represents a broader shift toward stricter privacy regulations and is already reshaping how businesses approach campaign tracking, audience targeting, and conversion measurement.
This article explains what’s changing, what actions are required, and how to align your tracking setup with Microsoft’s updated consent standards.
A Turning Point for Consent in Microsoft Advertising
Microsoft’s new policy mandates advertisers to receive and transmit proper consent signals before dropping tracking identifiers on user devices. This includes cookies for advertising purposes, device identifiers, and browser storage access used in campaign tracking.
Previously, partial consent or inferred user behaviour may have allowed advertisers to track certain events. Moving forward, the absence of active consent will prevent tracking tags from firing at all. The enforcement aligns Microsoft’s operations with broader data privacy regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), aiming to raise the privacy standard across advertising platforms.
What’s Changing: A Breakdown of the New Requirements
Explicit Consent Signals Required
From May 2025, all advertisers using Bing Ads and Microsoft Advertising services must send active consent signals before initiating tracking technologies. This applies to UET tags and other tracking tools used for remarketing, conversion tracking, or building audience segments. The requirement includes both first-party cookies and advertising cookies used for remarketing campaigns and audience creation.
Integration of Consent Mode
To stay compliant, advertisers must implement Microsoft’s UET Consent Mode. This feature allows UET tags to adjust based on the user’s consent status. If a user grants consent for cookies, tracking proceeds as normal. If not, the tags remain inactive.
UET Consent Mode supports compliance with applicable data privacy laws by respecting user choices and dynamically modifying tag behaviour. This mechanism is especially important for businesses relying on remarketing lists, user behaviour analysis, or advanced targeting options.
Consent mode implementation must be done through a supported consent management platform that is capable of sending consent update signals and reflecting user consent choices in real time.
Why This Matters for Advertisers
A Loss of Data—and Functionality—for Non-Compliance
Failure to implement Microsoft’s UET Consent Mode and send proper consent signals will lead to the loss of critical tracking functions, including:
- Conversion tracking: Accurate conversion tracking is no longer available without consent, affecting conversion rate monitoring.
- Audience segments: Campaigns relying on user activity to build custom segments or remarketing lists will be disrupted.
- Smart bidding strategies: Bidding strategies that depend on conversion data and user preferences will underperform without critical tracking.
- Performance metrics: Access to campaign performance insights, including user engagement and audience behaviour, will be blocked.
Advertisers who ignore the consent requirement risk losing the ability to evaluate advertising performance, optimise campaigns, and reach their target audience effectively.
Advertising in a Privacy-Aware Ecosystem
Microsoft’s changes mirror similar efforts by other advertising platforms:
- Google Ads requires Google Consent Mode for campaigns targeting users in the EU.
- Apple uses App Tracking Transparency to collect user consent for tracking purposes.
- Meta has implemented stricter data handling rules through its Conversions API and consent-aware pixel.
These changes point to a collective movement across search engines and social media platforms to enforce user privacy, strengthen trust, and respond to increasing privacy concerns.
Enforcement Timeline: What to Expect
Microsoft’s consent requirements will be rolled out in phases leading up to the enforcement deadline:
- March–April 2025: Microsoft will begin informing advertisers and verifying implementation status.
- 5 May 2025: Full enforcement begins. Advertisers who fail to configure UET Consent and proper consent signals will no longer receive behavioural data.
Delays in configuring consent compliance could lead to the loss of campaign tracking capabilities even before the formal deadline.
Step-by-Step: How to Prepare for Microsoft’s Consent Requirements
1. Review Your UET Setup
Begin by auditing your current Universal Event Tracking configuration. Check your script tags and determine how UET is firing on your site. Evaluate whether existing code snippets collect user activity before user consent preferences are recorded.
2. Choose a Compatible Consent Management Platform
Your consent management platform (CMP) must be capable of:
- Displaying a cookie consent banner
- Capturing user consent choices
- Transmitting the consent default signal and consent update signal to Microsoft in real time
Platforms such as OneTrust, Cookiebot, and UniConsent offer integrations compatible with Microsoft’s consent requirements and UET Consent Mode.
3. Implement Microsoft’s Consent Mode
Apply Microsoft’s Consent & Preference settings and follow documentation for consent mode implementation. This may involve adjusting your CMP to send signals in line with Microsoft’s format or integrating a custom script within your site’s application settings.
Ensure your setup adapts to changes in user consent status dynamically, allowing for tracking only when consent for cookies and other identifiers is given.
4. Test Thoroughly
Use Microsoft’s diagnostic tools to validate consent signal transmission. Confirm that tracking behaviour matches user consent preferences across different user scenarios, devices, and browser types.
Pay special attention to partial consent situations where users accept only some categories of cookies. Tags must respond correctly, avoiding tracking unless aligned with proper consent.
5. Monitor Campaign Metrics
After implementation, continue monitoring:
- Drops in recorded conversions
- Shrinking remarketing lists
- Changes in audience insights or broader audience targeting
- Declines in campaign performance or conversion rate
If metrics degrade, it may indicate issues with consent signal delivery or configuration.
Common Misconceptions
“We Already Use a Cookie Banner. Isn’t That Enough?”
Not quite. A cookie banner alone does not ensure consent compliance. You must actively send consent signals to Microsoft to indicate user choices. Without integration between your cookie consent banner and UET, tracking tools may collect data without lawful consent.
“This Only Affects Advertisers in the EU.”
Wrong. The policy affects advertisers targeting users in the UK, EEA, and Switzerland. If your campaigns reach users in any of these regions, compliance is mandatory regardless of your business location.
“We’ll Sort This Closer to May.”
Risky. Microsoft has signalled that data access may be limited for non-compliant advertisers ahead of the 5 May 2025 deadline. Waiting could reduce audience signals and impact bidding strategies prematurely.
Supporting Technologies and Compliance Tools
Short Link Management Platforms
Tools like LinksGPT support privacy compliance by offering consent-aware redirects and cookie access management. These platforms can help advertisers manage tracking without violating user consent preferences, particularly in ads remarketing campaigns.
Cross-Platform Consent Consistency
Many advertisers run campaigns on both Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising. Using a consent management platform compatible with both Microsoft UET Consent Mode and Google Consent Mode simplifies the implementation process and maintains consistency.
Aligning tracking technologies with privacy requirements across platforms prevents data gaps and avoids inconsistent behaviour on user devices.
Industry Perspectives
“The future of digital advertising depends on rebuilding trust. Transparent, consent-based data collection is now non-negotiable.” —Johnny Ryan, Senior Fellow, Irish Council for Civil Liberties
“Advertisers need to see compliance not as a burden, but as a strategy. It’s a way to protect customer trust and support business growth.” —Dr. Augustine Fou, Independent Ad Fraud Researcher
“Platform-level enforcement is now standard. It’s not just regulators—ad platforms themselves are driving stricter privacy controls.” —Ginny Marvin, Google Ads Liaison
These insights reflect a broader understanding that compliance with privacy regulations is no longer optional. Advertising with user privacy in mind is fast becoming the default setting across the industry.
Practical Implications for Advertisers
Proper implementation ensures campaigns remain compliant while protecting user trust. Benefits of meeting the new consent requirement include:
- Continued access to campaign tracking and user behaviour data
- Accurate measurement of conversion tracking and user engagement
- Ongoing eligibility for remarketing cookies and advanced features
- Compliance with applicable privacy laws, avoiding legal or financial penalties
Businesses that delay or ignore compliance face potential disruptions and hefty fines. The risk to campaign performance and audience targeting capabilities could have long-term effects on business revenue and visibility.
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for Digital Advertising?
Stricter consent requirements are becoming standard across the industry. Looking beyond May 2025, we can expect:
- Decreased reliance on third-party cookies and more focus on first-party data
- More granular consent settings driven by user consent choices and consent for cookies per category
- Greater adoption of privacy capabilities, including Privacy Policy Embeddings and server-side tagging
- Stronger regulatory enforcement across Europe, including penalties based on annual turnover
Search engines, ad platforms, and regulatory bodies are all pushing toward clearer, more enforceable privacy policies. Businesses that prioritise privacy compliance now will be better equipped to manage future updates.
Conclusion: Prepare Now to Protect Your Data and Campaigns
Microsoft’s enforcement of new consent requirements is more than a policy change. It reflects a growing demand for advertising practices aligned with user privacy and broader business objectives.
By taking steps now—reviewing your setup, implementing UET Consent Mode, configuring a compatible consent management platform, and testing thoroughly—you protect your campaigns from disruption and your business from fines. Most importantly, you build customer trust by respecting user consent preferences and aligning your practices with privacy regulations.
About Search Engine Ascend
Search Engine Ascend is a trusted source of insight for SEO and digital marketing professionals. We help businesses stay ahead of regulatory shifts, navigate technical changes, and improve their visibility through ethical, data-informed strategies. Our expert guidance supports campaign tracking, privacy compliance, and sustainable business growth in a changing digital environment.
