IAB updates framework to increase transparency in digital advertising

August 22, 2019

IAB Europe and IAB Tech Lab have launched an updated version of their Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF).  The TCF is an industry tool which aims to help those operating within the digital advertising ecosystem comply with the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive. The update follows a 12-month review period which included market feedback as well as meetings with national data protection authorities.

The TCF is for publishers, technology suppliers, agencies and advertisers, It sets out technical specifications and policy documents to enable companies that deliver digital advertising and personalised content to do so under an appropriate legal basis for processing personal data in each market where they operate. In the UK, the ICO has taken a specific view, as detailed in the publication of its Adtech Update Report in June. IAB Europe says that it is confident the new version of the TCF will allow companies to adopt a GDPR-compliant approach to real time bidding in the UK.

Under the revised TCF, consumers can grant or withhold consent, exercise their ‘right to object’ to data being processed and gain more control over whether and how suppliers may use certain features of data processing (for example, the use of precise geolocation).

The updated TCF will operate alongside the older version until the end of March 2020. The IAB hopes that this time-frame will provide publisher websites and consent management platforms time to develop and implement the code needed to adhere to the protocol of the updated TCF.