What to Know About Global Privacy Control (GPC) and Vector

Last updated: April 14, 2025

If you’ve heard about GPC and are wondering if it affects how Vector works or whether you need to do anything, you’re in the right place. Here’s a quick primer to get you up to speed.

🕵‍♀️ Wait, What Is Global Privacy Control?

Global Privacy Control (GPC) is a browser-based signal that tells websites “Hey, don’t sell or share my personal data.” Think of it like a Do Not Track switch — but with more teeth, especially under laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) or the GDPR in Europe.

If a visitor has GPC enabled in their browser, websites are expected to honor that signal and limit certain types of tracking or data sharing.

🧠 How Does That Work with Vector?

Good news: Vector doesn’t collect personal information unless a visitor is already known through prior opt-in or tracked behavior (like ad clicks or form fills). That means Vector naturally operates within the spirit of privacy regulations — including GPC.

If your team or legal counsel wants to actively detect and honor GPC signals on your site, that’s where a bit of JavaScript comes in.

🛠 How to Detect GPC with JavaScript

Here’s a simple code snippet that checks if the visitor has GPC enabled:

if (navigator.globalPrivacyControl) {
  console.log("GPC is enabled");
  // You could disable certain scripts or limit data collection here
}

You can see it in action in this JSFiddle example.

✅ What You Might Do With This

If you’re handling GPC requests on your site:

  • You may want to suppress analytics or ad tracking if GPC is detected.

  • You can skip firing the Vector pixel or restrict contact enrichment in real-time (you’ll need a developer to set this up).

  • Not sure what to do? Ask your legal team how they’d like to interpret the GPC signal — some companies take a broader approach, others are more narrow.

👻 What If You Do Nothing?

No worries. Vector doesn’t automatically act on GPC signals, but it’s designed with privacy in mind. If your company requires stricter enforcement, you can easily build around it using the code above.