EasyPrivacy and AdGuard now flag server-side GTM subdomains
Ad blocker filter lists, specifically EasyPrivacy and AdGuard, are now explicitly targeting server-side Google Tag Manager (GTM) subdomains and first-party tracking paths by name. This development challenges the assumption that server-side GTM would bypass ad blockers by appearing as first-party tracking.
Key Takeaways
- EasyPrivacy now includes sgtm. subdomains in its filter lists.
- AdGuard also targets first-party tracking paths by name.
- The changes specifically affect server-side Google Tag Manager deployments.
- The assumption that first-party-looking tracking would bypass ad blockers is now challenged by named filters.
Why It Matters
The immediate effect is that server-side GTM can no longer assume first-party subdomains will stay invisible to ad blockers. EasyPrivacy and AdGuard are now matching sgtm. hostnames and first-party tracking paths directly, which changes how these setups are identified. For streaming teams using server-side tagging to preserve measurement, the relevant signal to watch is whether more filter lists add explicit GTM subdomain rules or path-based signatures.
Read full article at ppc.land