A consent policy is a formal document that outlines how an organisation collects, records, manages, and withdraws user consent for data processing activities. While a privacy policy describes what data is collected and why, a consent policy specifically addresses the mechanisms and rules governing how permission is obtained from data subjects.
A comprehensive consent policy covers the types of user consent required (explicit vs. implicit), the methods used to collect consent (banners, forms, checkboxes), how consent records are stored and for how long, how users can withdraw consent, and the procedures for re-obtaining consent when processing purposes change.
These two documents serve complementary but distinct purposes. A privacy policy is a public-facing disclosure required by law that informs users about data collection practices. A consent policy is often an internal governance document that guides how the organisation implements consent mechanisms and ensures they meet regulatory standards.
Some organisations publish their consent policy alongside their privacy policy for maximum transparency, while others maintain it as an internal compliance framework. Either way, having a documented consent policy demonstrates accountability, a core principle of the GDPR.
Seers.ai helps organisations implement their consent policy through automated cookie scanning, configurable consent banners, and comprehensive audit logging. By mapping consent policy requirements to CMP configuration, Seers ensures that the policy is not just a document but an actively enforced set of rules integrated with Google Consent Mode v2.
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