What is TCF v2.2 and what changed from v2.0?

The Transparency and Consent Framework v2.2 is IAB Europe's current standard for passing consent choices between publishers, consent platforms, and ad vendors. Compared to v2.0, it removed legitimate interest as a legal basis for ads and content personalization, tightened vendor disclosure, and updated what banners must show on the first layer.

Why the update happened

The changes follow scrutiny of the framework by European data protection authorities, including the Belgian DPA's ruling against IAB Europe. TCF v2.2 is the industry's response: fewer gray areas, clearer purposes, and stricter rules about what a visitor must be told before consenting.

What banners must now show

Under v2.2, the first layer of the banner must name the vendors seeking consent or link to a complete list, and each vendor needs a clear purpose description in plain language. The total vendor count must be visible. Consent has to be as easy to refuse as to accept.

What publishers should check

Confirm your consent platform is TCF v2.2 registered, your vendor list is current, and your banner copy meets the new disclosure standard. Outdated TCF implementations can break ad delivery with vendors that have already moved on.