What a TC String is: the encoded consent record traveling through ad tech
· 2h ago · Originally reported by PPC Land
A TC String is a compact encoded value that captures which purposes and vendors a user has consented to, or flagged as legitimate interest, under IAB Europe's Transparency and Consent Framework. As an ad request moves through the programmatic supply chain, the string travels with it so every vendor can check what permission it holds before handling data.
Why it matters
It is the practical mechanism that lets hundreds of ad tech vendors see and honor a person's privacy choices in real time. Without it, European programmatic advertising would have no standardized way to prove consent was obtained and respected.
Explain it like I’m new here
It's like a permission slip stapled to your data that lists exactly which companies may use it and for what.
Terms in this story
Consent string
A consent string is a compact encoded value recording a user's privacy choices, such as the TCF TC String or a GPP string, that travels with ad requests to vendors.
Legitimate interest
Legitimate interest is one of the GDPR's six lawful bases for processing personal data, allowing processing without consent when it is necessary for a genuine interest not overridden by the individual's rights.
IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau)
The IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) is the US-based trade association for the digital advertising and media industry, founded in 1996, which publishes research, guidelines and policy positions.
IAB TCF (Transparency & Consent Framework)
The IAB TCF (Transparency & Consent Framework) is IAB Europe's standard for collecting users' GDPR consent and objections through CMPs and passing those choices to ad tech vendors in a consent string.
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