• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, May 3, 2018

Google has placed restrictions on media buyers who use its data transfer service and DoubleClick ID. The company said it will no longer allow buyers to use the DoubleClick ID when using its data transfer service, according to one source who asked for anonymity. 

A Google partner confirmed receiving an email that outlines the changes. The ID allows marketers to pull together data from DoubleClick Campaign Manager (DCM) for cross-platform reporting and measurement. Marketers who run search, display and video and want to track conversions through one source such as the DoubleClick Floodlight Tag, which tracks and reports conversions, would use the ID.

Marketers say the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) prompted the decision. Google’s restrictions and the European Union’s regulations both will be enforced on May 25.

The note, sent to partners last week, explains that the DoubleClick ID will no longer be available for data transfers on YouTube impressions and those recorded by the DCM ad server and the DoubleClick Bid Manager (DBM) DSP. It will initially take effect in the EU and then globally. One report  also notes Google will remove encrypted cookie IDs, IP addresses and user list names from data transfers of all bids in Google Ad Exchange.

Gary Kibel, partner at Davis & Gilbert LLP, at a recent MediaPost Search Insider Summit said that tracking consumer purchases and omnichannel campaigns will become two major challenges for advertisers.

Google is making other changes too. As of May 29, Google reps will have access to DoubleClick Search data in campaigns run by advertisers and agencies in a “read only” mode.