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TCF EU overview

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Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF) EU is the payload of Global Privacy Platform (GPP) §2 and also coexists with GPP as the standalone TC string (leading C). The current baseline is Final v.2.2 with rolling 2.3 / 2.4 revisions; 2.4 has no released version and must not be cited as one.

Lede

This page will cover

  • Entry cards to the five sub-pages (tc-string / declarations / publisher-restrictions / versions / cmp-spec)
  • The authoritative wording that §2 payload and the standalone TC string coexist
  • One-line version status (Final v.2.2 baseline + rolling 2.3/2.4)

Group

TC String bit-level breakdown

Maintained by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Europe, the Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF) EU v2 TC String = Core String . Disclosed Vendors . Publisher TC, three segments separated by . and each self-identified by a 3-bit SegmentType (the Core segment has no prefix). It is both the payload of Global Privacy Platform (GPP) §2 and, as a leading-C standalone string, coexists with GPP. Bit-level layout of the 17 Core fields.

  • Three-segment layout with SegmentType self-identification (0=Core / 1=DisclosedVendors / 3=PublisherTC)
  • Bit-level table of the 17 Core fields (Version / Created / LastUpdated / CmpId / … / PublisherCC)
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The four declaration families: Purposes / Special Purposes / Features / Special Features

The four declaration families on the Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF) side: Purposes (11 current + 12–24 reserved) / Special Purposes (2) / Features (3) / Special Features (2). Field models differ: Purposes have both Consent and Legitimate Interest (LI) channels, Special Features are Opt-In only.

  • The current Purposes 1–11 (12–24 reserved), with both Consent and LI channels
  • Special Purposes 1–2 (SP1 ensure security/prevent fraud/debug, SP2 technically deliver ads or content)
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Publisher Restrictions

partially integrated

The variable-length restriction entries at the tail of the Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF) Core segment: NumPubRestrictions Int(12) + per entry (PurposeId 6 bits + RestrictionType 2 bits + vendor range). The three RestrictionType values: 0 = purpose disallowed / 1 = require consent / 2 = require legitimate interest.

  • Field layout: NumPubRestrictions Int(12) + per entry PurposeId(6) + RestrictionType(2) + NumEntries + Range
  • The three-valued semantics of RestrictionType (0/1/2)
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TCF version deltas

partially integrated

Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF) version evolution: v1 (deprecated) → v2.0 → v2.1 → v2.2 → v2.3 deltas; v2.4 has no released version and must not be cited as one. The mapping between the TcfPolicyVersion field and Global Vendor List (GVL) versions.

  • v1 → v2.0 major changes (encoding format and API fully reworked)
  • v2.0 → v2.1 (Purpose renaming / LI channel refinements)
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CMP registration & specification (TCF side)

partially integrated

The Consent Management Platform (CMP) registration process on the Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF) side, the semantics of the CmpId / CmpVersion fields, and the UI / API contract a CMP must implement. Division of labour with the cmp-api chapter: this one covers "who may become a CMP", cmp-api covers "how the browser reads it".

  • The IAB Europe CMP registration process and CmpId allocation
  • Field semantics of CmpId Int(12) / CmpVersion Int(12) / ConsentScreen Int(6)
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