diff --git a/exchange/gdpr.go b/exchange/gdpr.go
index 2f94eefdae..fbba54da14 100644
--- a/exchange/gdpr.go
+++ b/exchange/gdpr.go
@@ -16,11 +16,11 @@ func getGDPR(req *openrtb_ext.RequestWrapper) (gdpr.Signal, error) {
 		}
 		return gdpr.SignalNo, nil
 	}
-	re, err := req.GetRegExt()
-	if re == nil || re.GetGDPR() == nil || err != nil {
-		return gdpr.SignalAmbiguous, err
+	if req.Regs != nil && req.Regs.GDPR != nil {
+		return gdpr.IntSignalParse(int(*req.Regs.GDPR))
 	}
-	return gdpr.Signal(*re.GetGDPR()), nil
+	return gdpr.SignalAmbiguous, nil
+
 }
 
 // getConsent will pull the consent string from an openrtb request
@@ -29,11 +29,10 @@ func getConsent(req *openrtb_ext.RequestWrapper, gpp gpplib.GppContainer) (conse
 		consent = gpp.Sections[i].GetValue()
 		return
 	}
-	ue, err := req.GetUserExt()
-	if ue == nil || ue.GetConsent() == nil || err != nil {
-		return
+	if req.User != nil {
+		return req.User.Consent, nil
 	}
-	return *ue.GetConsent(), nil
+	return
 }
 
 // enforceGDPR determines if GDPR should be enforced based on the request signal and whether the channel is enabled
diff --git a/exchange/gdpr_test.go b/exchange/gdpr_test.go
index c73112be6f..7b58b67f34 100644
--- a/exchange/gdpr_test.go
+++ b/exchange/gdpr_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package exchange
 
 import (
-	"encoding/json"
 	"testing"
 
 	gpplib "github.com/prebid/go-gpp"
@@ -9,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/prebid/openrtb/v20/openrtb2"
 	"github.com/prebid/prebid-server/v2/gdpr"
 	"github.com/prebid/prebid-server/v2/openrtb_ext"
+	"github.com/prebid/prebid-server/v2/util/ptrutil"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
@@ -21,17 +21,17 @@ func TestGetGDPR(t *testing.T) {
 	}{
 		{
 			description: "Regs Ext GDPR = 0",
-			giveRegs:    &openrtb2.Regs{Ext: json.RawMessage(`{"gdpr": 0}`)},
+			giveRegs:    &openrtb2.Regs{GDPR: ptrutil.ToPtr[int8](0)},
 			wantGDPR:    gdpr.SignalNo,
 		},
 		{
 			description: "Regs Ext GDPR = 1",
-			giveRegs:    &openrtb2.Regs{Ext: json.RawMessage(`{"gdpr": 1}`)},
+			giveRegs:    &openrtb2.Regs{GDPR: ptrutil.ToPtr[int8](1)},
 			wantGDPR:    gdpr.SignalYes,
 		},
 		{
 			description: "Regs Ext GDPR = null",
-			giveRegs:    &openrtb2.Regs{Ext: json.RawMessage(`{"gdpr": null}`)},
+			giveRegs:    &openrtb2.Regs{GDPR: nil},
 			wantGDPR:    gdpr.SignalAmbiguous,
 		},
 		{
@@ -39,30 +39,19 @@ func TestGetGDPR(t *testing.T) {
 			giveRegs:    nil,
 			wantGDPR:    gdpr.SignalAmbiguous,
 		},
-		{
-			description: "Regs Ext is nil",
-			giveRegs:    &openrtb2.Regs{Ext: nil},
-			wantGDPR:    gdpr.SignalAmbiguous,
-		},
-		{
-			description: "JSON unmarshal error",
-			giveRegs:    &openrtb2.Regs{Ext: json.RawMessage(`{"`)},
-			wantGDPR:    gdpr.SignalAmbiguous,
-			wantError:   true,
-		},
 		{
 			description: "Regs Ext GDPR = null, GPPSID has tcf2",
-			giveRegs:    &openrtb2.Regs{Ext: json.RawMessage(`{"gdpr": null}`), GPPSID: []int8{2}},
+			giveRegs:    &openrtb2.Regs{GDPR: nil, GPPSID: []int8{2}},
 			wantGDPR:    gdpr.SignalYes,
 		},
 		{
 			description: "Regs Ext GDPR = 1, GPPSID has uspv1",
-			giveRegs:    &openrtb2.Regs{Ext: json.RawMessage(`{"gdpr": 1}`), GPPSID: []int8{6}},
+			giveRegs:    &openrtb2.Regs{GDPR: ptrutil.ToPtr[int8](1), GPPSID: []int8{6}},
 			wantGDPR:    gdpr.SignalNo,
 		},
 		{
 			description: "Regs Ext GDPR = 0, GPPSID has tcf2",
-			giveRegs:    &openrtb2.Regs{Ext: json.RawMessage(`{"gdpr": 0}`), GPPSID: []int8{2}},
+			giveRegs:    &openrtb2.Regs{GDPR: ptrutil.ToPtr[int8](0), GPPSID: []int8{2}},
 			wantGDPR:    gdpr.SignalYes,
 		},
 		{
@@ -105,18 +94,13 @@ func TestGetConsent(t *testing.T) {
 		wantError   bool
 	}{
 		{
-			description: "User Ext Consent is not empty",
-			giveUser:    &openrtb2.User{Ext: json.RawMessage(`{"consent": "BOS2bx5OS2bx5ABABBAAABoAAAAAFA"}`)},
+			description: "User Consent is not empty",
+			giveUser:    &openrtb2.User{Consent: "BOS2bx5OS2bx5ABABBAAABoAAAAAFA"},
 			wantConsent: "BOS2bx5OS2bx5ABABBAAABoAAAAAFA",
 		},
 		{
 			description: "User Ext Consent is empty",
-			giveUser:    &openrtb2.User{Ext: json.RawMessage(`{"consent": ""}`)},
-			wantConsent: "",
-		},
-		{
-			description: "User Ext is nil",
-			giveUser:    &openrtb2.User{Ext: nil},
+			giveUser:    &openrtb2.User{Consent: ""},
 			wantConsent: "",
 		},
 		{
@@ -125,26 +109,20 @@ func TestGetConsent(t *testing.T) {
 			wantConsent: "",
 		},
 		{
-			description: "JSON unmarshal error",
-			giveUser:    &openrtb2.User{Ext: json.RawMessage(`{`)},
-			wantConsent: "",
-			wantError:   true,
-		},
-		{
-			description: "User Ext is nil, GPP has no GDPR",
-			giveUser:    &openrtb2.User{Ext: nil},
+			description: "User is nil, GPP has no GDPR",
+			giveUser:    nil,
 			giveGPP:     gpplib.GppContainer{Version: 1, SectionTypes: []gppConstants.SectionID{6}, Sections: []gpplib.Section{&upsv1Section}},
 			wantConsent: "",
 		},
 		{
-			description: "User Ext is nil, GPP has GDPR",
-			giveUser:    &openrtb2.User{Ext: nil},
+			description: "User is nil, GPP has GDPR",
+			giveUser:    nil,
 			giveGPP:     gpplib.GppContainer{Version: 1, SectionTypes: []gppConstants.SectionID{2}, Sections: []gpplib.Section{&tcf1Section}},
 			wantConsent: "BOS2bx5OS2bx5ABABBAAABoAAAAAFA",
 		},
 		{
-			description: "User Ext has GDPR, GPP has GDPR",
-			giveUser:    &openrtb2.User{Ext: json.RawMessage(`{"consent": "BSOMECONSENT"}`)},
+			description: "User has GDPR, GPP has GDPR",
+			giveUser:    &openrtb2.User{Consent: "BSOMECONSENT"},
 			giveGPP:     gpplib.GppContainer{Version: 1, SectionTypes: []gppConstants.SectionID{2}, Sections: []gpplib.Section{&tcf1Section}},
 			wantConsent: "BOS2bx5OS2bx5ABABBAAABoAAAAAFA",
 		},