Transparency & Consent Framework 2.0 launches

The TCF is an industry tool that supports companies within the digital advertising ecosystem as they manage their compliance obligations under the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive. This second version follows a 12-month review period which has included market feedback from all sectors of the digital advertising industry; notably with publishers and meetings with Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) throughout Europe.

TCF v2.0 continues to support the overall drive of the TCF to increase consumer transparency and choice, management by digital properties of consent and compliance, and industry collaboration that centres on standardisation.

The TCF Steering Group (SG) drafted the new policy documents and engaged with the IAB Tech Lab, which managed the technical specifications. With participation from 10 National IABs and 55 organisations – plus EU-level associations, publishers, media owners, technology providers, and media agencies – the SG enabled an inclusive, fair and consensus-based participation of stakeholders to deliver the vision.

Under TCF v2.0, not only can consumers grant or withhold consent but they can also exercise their ‘right to object’ to data being processed. Consumers also gain more control over whether and how vendors may use certain features of data processing (for example, the use of precise geolocation).

Publishers employing TCF v2.0 gain greater control and flexibility over how they integrate and collaborate with their technology partners. New publisher functionality allows them to restrict the purposes for which personal data is processed by vendors on a publisher’s website, on a per-vendor basis.

Announcing the updates to the TCF, Townsend Feehan, CEO of IAB Europe, said: “The original TCF was launched to help a complex industry value chain manage their obligations under new regulations, notably the GDPR. With the number of constituents involved and disparate regulatory interpretations across multiple jurisdictions, it was essential that the evolution of the framework was handled sensitively, with the final specifications able to be adopted in a manner consistent with differing business models in a wide range of operational markets.

“Whilst the TCF will continue to evolve to meet the needs of our dynamic industry, I am confident this update addresses all the feedback we have received from many DPAs throughout Europe, as well as the needs of each part of the digital advertising value chain.”

As businesses adopt the new updates, TCF v2.0 will operate in market alongside TCF 1.0 through to the close of Q1 2020. This will provide publisher websites and Consent Management Platforms (CMPs) with an appropriate timeframe in which to adopt TCF v2.0. It also provides vendors with sufficient time to develop and implement the code needed to adhere to the protocol of TCF v2.0.

Find out more and read the full announcement here.

Additional resources: 

• Download the one-pager for a general overview of TCF 2.0

• Download the infographic for more visual guide to TCF 2.0 and how it works

• Full webinars and information decks available for Publishers, Agencies and Advertisers and CMP and vendors on the IAB Europe website.