It’s amazing when individuals and groups from different industries or are competitors within the same industry can come together and create a framework that benefits… everyone!

I don’t think that is something that happens every day.

I am talking about the Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF), which was created to help all parties to display and manage digital advertising and develop targeted content complying with the the European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Privacy Directive (ePD) when processing personal data and or accessing and storing information about users’ devices.

GDPR was assembled to protect users, but it doesn’t easily lend itself to implementation! That makes the TCF accomplishment all the more commendable.

Roq.ad was an early adopter of TCF. In fact, our Vendor ID number is 4 — proof that we saw the value of this project early on. We spotted that the mission of Interactive Advertising Bureau  aligns with Roq.ad’s values, especially “Privacy by Design.”

The first version of the TCF was launched in April 2018. It provides a means of transmitting signals of consent from users to vendors working with publishers using a Consent Management Platform (CMP). TCF v2.0 was released late last year. My firm migrated to it a few weeks ago, and I recommend that you do the same!

Benefits of TCF v2.0

Specifically, TCF v2.0 supports the following new features:

Transparency – through revised definitions and descriptions of data processing purposes that combine greater granularity (now increased from 5 to 10 purposes with the addition of 2 special purposes, and 2 features and 2 special features) that will enable users to make more informed choices regarding the processing of their personal data.

Choice – the introduction of signals that allow CMPs to offer users a streamlined means for users exercising the “right to object” to processing on the basis of a “legitimate interest.”

Accountability – with a more complete accommodation of the “legitimate interests” legal basis for data processing that allows vendors to receive a signal about whether their legitimate interests have been disclosed.

Control – with new, granular controls for publishers about the data processing purposes permitted by them on a per vendor basis.

Compliance – through greater support for the users of the framework in their application of the policies, terms and conditions and technical specifications with increased investment by IAB Europe in the resource to support compliance.

So if you’re a member of the digital marketing and advertising ecosystem, then I recommend that you migrate to TCF v2.0 right away! But it is awesome that the IAB will extend support of TCF v1.1 until 15 August 2020, given that the pandemic has left the world scrambling for solutions and pressed for time.

Speaking of which, I recently shared some ideas about how our Identity Graph solution can be re-purposed to control the spread of COVID-19.

It is rare in this world that competitors can come together and work on common interests; I am extremely proud of the fact that companies and leaders in my industry collaborated to hammer out a framework that benefits so many parties, including, and especially, the users.

Contact us if you want to chat about Identity as a Service.