If you work with consent management, programmatic advertising, or data privacy compliance in Europe, the Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF) is something you simply can’t ignore. Managed by IAB Europe in partnership with IAB Tech Lab, the TCF is the industry’s primary mechanism for helping publishers, advertisers, and ad tech vendors comply with the ePrivacy Directive and GDPR when it comes to collecting and processing user data. It underpins the consent flows seen on millions of websites across the EU — and when it updates, compliance teams need to take note.
On May 29, 2026, IAB Europe announced a new set of policy amendments, moving the TCF Policies from version 5.0.a to v5.0.b. The changes cover three key areas: how consent is handled across multiple devices, clearer UI requirements for Consent Management Platforms (CMPs), and an updated name and guidance for Special Feature 2. With compliance deadlines running through to early 2027, now is the time for CMPs, publishers, and vendors to understand exactly what’s changing and what they need to do. Here’s a full breakdown of what was announced.
IAB Europe, in partnership with IAB Tech Lab, continues to advance and enhance the Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) to address the evolving expectations of users, regulators, and participants.
In order to continue helping players in the online ecosystem comply with certain requirements of the ePrivacy Directive and the GDPR in line with the expectations of regulators, the Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF) Steering Group has approved new iterations to the Framework.
1. Updates to Accommodate Multi-Device Consent
Following the CNIL’s publication of recommendations for cross-device consent, the Policies have been reviewed to ensure adequate flexibility for publishers persisting users’ privacy choices across multiple devices, for example when users are logged into an account.
The amendments to the Policies, specifically to Chapter III(12)(3) and Chapter I(1)(20):
- Will ensure that users are informed about the scope of their privacy choices where they are persisted across devices.
- Will provide the necessary flexibility for publishers to handle situations where signalling conflict may occur (e.g. where a user expresses choices that differ from those associated with their account prior to logging in).
To support TCF participants in understanding this new iteration, the TCF instances have developed dedicated FAQs: see FAQ n°15 and 16 here.
2. Improving TCF UI Requirements to Ensure Better Understanding of Features
To avoid any confusion around features, the new UI requirements will introduce the following changes:
- The amended Chapter V, Appendix B(B)(f) will require CMPs to display a standard explanation text alongside Features that provides clarifications that they are means of processing that can be used solely in pursuit of one or several purposes for which users are given a choice.
- Features will not be displayed next to controls that cannot be disabled to avoid misleading users.
- The amended Chapter V, Appendix A(C) will include illustrations for each feature to enhance users’ understanding.
The standard text for features that CMPs will need to display will be included in the GVL and corresponding translations.
3. Update to the Name and Vendor Guidance for Special Feature 2
The Vendor Guidance for Special Feature 2 under Chapter V, Appendix A(D) was reviewed to ensure that it adequately reflects the active request of Client Hints for the purpose of creating a fingerprint.
The user-facing name of Special Feature 2 was also amended, as the previous wording was considered insufficiently clear. Accordingly, Special Feature 2, previously titled “Actively scan device characteristics for identification,” will now be renamed “Identify devices based on information actively requested.”
Finally, it was noted that the “Example Stack Combination 3 (Advertisers)” under Chapter V, Appendix A(C) included Purposes 2, 3, and 4 relating to the delivery of advertising. Since advertisers typically do not sell ad placements on their own properties, the example has been updated to no longer include these purposes.
4. Policies Versioning
The Policies version has been incremented from v5.0.a to v5.0.b. The new Policies can be found here.
Timeline
- 29 May 2026: Release of updated Policies and beginning of the 30-day public comments period by IAB Tech Lab for the Technical Specifications (see the announcement).
- 29 June 2026: Public comments period ends. CMPs can start preparing to ingest the new information provided in the GVL. The updated GVL specification does not introduce any new requirements for vendors.
- Mid-July 2026: GVL and corresponding translations are updated with the new standard text and illustrations for features.
- Mid-October 2026: Deadline for CMPs to comply with the Policies in the web environment. The exact date will be confirmed once the GVL and corresponding translations are updated.
- Mid-February 2027: Deadline for CMPs to comply with the Policies in native app environments (mobile & CTV). The exact date will be confirmed once the GVL and corresponding translations are updated.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact framework@iabeurope.eu.
Source: IAB Europe
