IAB Europe opened the registration process for vendors and consent management providers (“CMPs”) to apply for approved status under IAB Europe’s Transparency and Consent Framework (“Framework”).

The Framework intends to provide publishers that have decided that the interest-based advertising products available on their platforms require user consent to deploy a standardized framework to (1) disclose to visitors the companies the publisher wishes to allow to access visitors’ browsers and devices and (2) to disclose these choices to other parties in the online advertising ecosystem.  In essence, it aims to serve as a “common language” for communicating consumer consent for delivery of relevant online ads and content, where required under the GDPR or applicable law.  A document setting out answers to commonly asked questions about the Framework is available here.

Vendors (including SSPs, DSPs, ad exchanges, etc.) can now apply for the Global Vendor List (“List”).  The List enables publishers using the Framework to disclose those vendors; it also enables vendors to receive consent signals from publishers.  The registration form for the List is available here.

CMPs are companies that capture and store publishers’ preferred vendors and purposes and the consent status of the user to transmit that data throughout the online advertising ecosystem. With the new registration process, CMPs may apply for “approved CMP” status, which allows a company to be a CMP used within the Framework.  As publishers can choose which CMPs they wish to work with – and because CMPs can develop their own APIs and user interfaces – this potentially allows for more flexibility.  The application for approved CMP status is available here.

Once companies have submitted their application and received approval, they must pay an annual fee.  Vendors will be issued an ID and published in the Framework; CMPs will receive an ID and sub-domain, and they will be listed on advertisingconsent.eu.