What’s the Difference Between IAB TCF v1.1 and v2.0?

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is gearing up for the new Transparency and Consent Framework, TCF v2.0 to go into effect. For those familiar with TCF v1.1, TCF v2.0 is an updated version with a focus on improving consumer transparency and choice by further expanding the control for publishers and CMPs.

The AdTech market will benefit from the framework in its adherence to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ePrivacy Directive while maintaining support for their needs from their users. The updated version will go into effect on August 15, 2020.  

Why Was IAB TCF v1.1 Updated?  

TCF v1.1 was the first framework of its kind. Because it was new, the focus was mostly on AdTech vendors and didn’t take publishers into consideration. In an increasingly digital world, publishers, vendors, advertisers, media agencies, and data protection authorities should all be consulted with to ensure the framework is improved. TCF v2.0 seeks to provide choice and transparency to consumers and continues to take feedback to drive innovation and provide greater control to publishers.  

Key changes include:  

• Consumer transparency and control  
• Greater control for publishers  
• GDPR consent and support for the “legitimate interests” legal basis for processing data
• Provides a more detailed description for the purpose of data processing
• Customization of the vendor operation 

We’re keeping up to date with all things related to the upcoming framework and have highlighted some of the many differences between v1 and v2 below! 

IAB TCF v2.0

IAB TCF 2.0 is the result of continuous consultation with its users and a broad base of stakeholders. The new version introduces the “right to object” to a processors “legitimate processing” legal basis for data processing. IAB TCF 2.0 has been designed to give enhanced transparency and choice to consumers while providing enhanced control to publishers. This is accomplished by incorporating the following changes: 

• Choice: Users will benefit from the revised definitions of Purposes, Special Purposes, Features, and Special Features. Our upcoming blog will dive into this further as well as the technical specifications of the new version. Choice is an asset to provide to your users as they can make informed choices about how their data is processed—which benefits your company in complying with the GDPR. 
• Streamlined clarity: A well-rounded legal basis for data processing ensures adherence to the “legitimate interest” requirement in the GDPR. Providing a clear purpose behind the gathering of the data serves as a way to allow users to object to that purpose if they do not want to consent. 
• Granular controls for publishers: Granular controls about the data processing purposes that are permitted on a per-vendor basis to customize each vendor’s permissions separately. 
• Compliance with the GDPR: Backed by the IAB Europe and their resources, those who adhere to the framework will receive support.  

Publishers receive support in a multitude of ways, but the update to the framework comes in the form of better support provided to publishers, CMPs, and Adtech vendors that provide detailed information on the purposes behind the data they’re processing.