Transparency and Consent Framework
An IAB Europe standard that helps publishers, advertisers, and technology vendors comply with GDPR consent requirements for advertising.
What Transparency and Consent Framework means
The Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF), developed by IAB Europe, is a standardized framework for managing and communicating user consent across the digital advertising supply chain. TCF v2.2 (the current version) provides a common language for consent management platforms (CMPs) to communicate user consent preferences to ad technology vendors. It defines standardized purposes for data processing (e.g., storing/accessing information on a device, creating a personalized ads profile, measuring ad performance) and allows users to grant or withhold consent for each purpose and vendor. Google requires TCF-certified CMPs for serving personalized ads in the EEA. While TCF provides a practical compliance mechanism, it has faced regulatory challenges — the Belgian DPA found IAB Europe's TCF consent string processing to violate GDPR, leading to framework updates.
Related terms
Consent Management Platform
A tool that helps websites and apps collect, manage, and store user consent for cookies and data processing.
GDPR
The General Data Protection Regulation — the EU's comprehensive data protection law governing how personal data is collected, processed, and stored.
Consent
A user's explicit or implied permission for data collection, processing, or advertising targeting, required by privacy regulations.
ePrivacy Directive
An EU directive governing electronic communications privacy, including rules on cookies, tracking, and direct marketing.