August 9, 2025
2 min read
The Interactive Advertising Bureau’s Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) functions as a standardised protocol for communicating user consent, specifically designed to align with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements in Europe. The framework’s primary outcome is the creation of a common language for websites, ad tech vendors, and advertisers to interpret and act upon user consent and preferences regarding data processing and advertising purposes.
The TCF achieves its objectives through the deployment of Consent Management Platforms (CMPs), which present users with clear choices regarding data collection and processing activities. CMPs are required to:
The TC String serves as the technical mechanism enabling interoperability across the digital advertising ecosystem. When a user interacts with a CMP, their preferences are encoded, and this TC String is then shared with downstream vendors, ensuring that all parties adhere to the user’s expressed choices (Purra & Carlsson, 2023).
A key finding from empirical analyses is that transparency and user control have increased since the adoption of TCF, but practical challenges remain. Notably:
A review of TCF implementations demonstrates that, although consensus exists on its necessity for cross-industry interoperability, the system’s reliance on user interaction with CMPs introduces variability in outcomes. For instance, a comparative study of CMP designs found that design patterns significantly affect both user participation in consent dialogs and the meaningfulness of consent provided (Nouwens et al., 2020).
In summary, the IAB TCF represents a technical and policy-driven attempt to bridge industry practices with regulatory expectations. Its main deliverables—standardised consent capture via CMPs and machine-readable TC Strings—are widely adopted, yet questions persist regarding true transparency, user autonomy, and legal sufficiency.
