Google plans to begin collecting and using IP addresses from users in the UK, European Economic Area, and Switzerland for ad personalization and measurement starting August 3, 2026. The shift reverses the company's prior position on IP-based identification and arrives as UK regulators assess updated consent frameworks.

The move represents a significant departure from Google's own historical stance. Years ago, the company characterized using IP addresses as signals to identify individual devices as "wrong." That previous framing reflected privacy concerns about linking browsing behavior to specific network locations, which can reveal sensitive information about user location and activity patterns.

Regulators are watching closely. The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is currently developing new consent rules that will govern how companies like Google handle personal data for advertising. This timing places Google's decision squarely in the middle of an evolving regulatory landscape where consent standards and data protection frameworks remain fluid.

The practical impact centers on ad targeting accuracy. IP addresses provide advertisers with approximate geographic location and device identification without requiring explicit user consent under current interpretations. Google will leverage this data to refine audience segmentation and measure ad performance across regions, tools that directly enhance advertiser ROI and platform competitiveness.

For users, the change means additional tracking vectors beyond existing signals like cookies and device identifiers. While IP addresses are less precise than other identifiers, linking them with other data sources enables cross-device tracking and behavioral profiling at scale.

Google framed the decision within its broader shift away from third-party cookies, positioning IP-based methods as necessary alternatives for measurement and attribution. The company claims privacy-preserving approaches inform the implementation, though specifics remain limited.

Organizations relying on Google's ad network should prepare for this August 2026 transition. Marketing teams will gain refined audience insights, but privacy and compliance officers need to audit consent mechanisms and privacy notices to reflect IP collection in affected regions. Users in