Over 500 vendors & 70 CMPs will implement TCF v2.0

To date, 517 vendors including Adobe, Google, GroupM, Magnite, The Ozone Project, The Trade Desk and Xandr will implement TCF v2.0 on 15 August, as well as 70 Consent Management Platforms (CMPs). 

In 2019, IAB Europe, in partnership with IAB Tech Lab, announced the launch of the second iteration of the Transparency and Consent framework – an industry tool that supports companies within the digital advertising ecosystem as they manage their compliance obligations under the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive. 

The second version of the framework followed a 12-month review period that included market feedback from all sectors of the digital advertising industry; notably with publishers and meetings with Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) throughout Europe. Consumers will see an increase in controls in TCF v2.0 with the more comprehensive inclusion of the functionality within the TCF for a consumer to exercise and signal the “right to object” (RTO) to processing based on a legitimate interest legal basis.

Commenting on the positive market update of the TCF v2.0 ahead of the switchover date, Townsend Feehan, CEO of IAB Europe said: “TCF v2.0 takes the standard to the next level with respect to consumer transparency and choice, publisher control over data processing for advertising and content personalisation, and cross-industry collaboration. We set a target of 500 vendors to give the market the confidence that v2.0 would be fully integrated within our ecosystem by 15 August. We’ve spent the last year providing support and guidance to CMPs, publishers and vendors, and are confident that we have a robust framework in place that can continue to evolve in light of European Court case law and regulatory enforcement”.

Commenting on the TCF v2.0 switchover Stevan Randjelovic, Director, Brand Safety and Digital Risk, GroupM EMEA, added: “We are very pleased to see TCF 2.0 implemented as it brings greater transparency for users, and increased accountability for vendors. It takes a true industry effort and collaboration to create a standardised approach which allows companies to operate seamlessly across Europe, and which provides users with consistent information across publishers. We hope that the improved framework will bring more publishers and vendors on board”. 

Businesses were given until 15 August to adopt the new standards and successfully switch across from TCF v1.1 to TCF v2.0.  Post this date it will not be possible to create new v1.1 consent strings although existing v1.1 consent strings will be supported in absence of v2.0 consent strings until 30 September 2020. The introduction of TCF v2.0 also welcomed many new vendors and CMPs who were waiting for the updated policies before joining the only privacy compliance solution that was built by the industry for the industry.

Chetna Bindra, Google Senior Product Manager, User Trust and Privacy: “We are delighted to launch our integration into the TCF v2.0, in line with the switchover from v1.1 by IAB Europe. This marks the successful collaboration across our industry for a standardised framework that combines both ease of use and interoperability and will give users greater control over how their data is used, as well as provide publishers with greater flexibility to work with a range of technology partners.” 

Launching next month, IAB UK’s Gold Standard 2.0 will require companies to adopt the TCF as part of certification. Find out more here. 

Commenting on the role the TCF v2.0 will play for the Gold Standard, Tim Elkington, Chief Digital Officer at IAB UK, said: “TCF v2.0 prioritises consumers’ choice, control and privacy – principles that are central to creating a responsible and sustainable future for the digital ad industry. By incorporating the framework within Gold Standard 2.0 – following a recent consultation with members – we are evolving the criteria for certified members to keep pace with wider industry developments and improve the overall digital experience for consumers.” 

Registration to TCF v2.0 is open to all Vendors and CMPs. To join, please visit IAB Europe.