A consent management platform (CMP) is a system or process designed to manage the consent to cookies on a website or app. In accordance with GDPR and ePrivacy regulations, it is essential to block cookie scripts from running until user consent is obtained. This consent must be informed and active, requiring specific disclosures to be made to the user before seeking consent. Additionally, the user must take explicit action to demonstrate their consent.

Consent Management Platforms (CMPs) play a vital role in handling this consent collection process and ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations. More specifically, CMPs help you gather, store, and use users’ preferences to collect and process their personal information for specific purposes (e.g., analytics, advertising, and retargeting strategies).

A consent management platform works at different levels: global compliance, user interface for consent collection, consent storage and management, integration with other systems, consent updates and withdrawal, reporting and analytics.

In more detail, a consent management platform displays a valid and region-based consent notice to users upon their first visit on your site, detailing data collection types and purposes, and offers detailed consent customization options. It enables users to update or withdraw consent anytime. User preferences are securely stored, with a unique session identifier tracking consent across the site. Consent management software integrate with other website systems such as advertising platforms, analytics tools, and CMS for top consent management. Some CMPs also provide reporting tools for monitoring consent rates.

If your business operates in the EU or serves EU-based users, having a consent management platform is likely necessary. EU regulations such as the GDPR/ePrivacy Directive or UK GDPR/PECR require obtaining consent for cookies (or any third-party service run by your site/app) and data collection. Additionally, if you fall under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and share user data with third parties (e.g. IP address), you must inform Californian consumers and provide them the option to opt out by displaying a “Do Not Sell My Personal Information” opt-out link.

Considering the global emergence of privacy laws, it’s hard to find a site or app that doesn’t need a consent management software. With such a platform, you can easily collect and manage user consent, block cookie scripts until consent is obtained, and maintain detailed consent records. In essence, a consent management platform simplifies the process, ensuring compliance and transparency.

The IAB Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) is a digital advertising initiative that helps publishers, technology vendors, agencies, and advertisers meet the requirements of the GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive when processing personal data and accessing information on users devices (such as cookies, advertising identifiers, device identifiers, and other tracking technologies). The IAB TCF provides a standard process for getting GDPR user consent and signaling those consent preferences across the advertising supply chain.

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When users first visit a website, they are shown a consent banner that explains how their information will be used and with whom it will be shared. They can either agree or disagree with the processing of their data. Once they make their choice, it is shared with vendors and partners participating in the TCF to ensure that everyone knows whether they can process a particular user’s data.

The TCF includes a set of technical standards that facilitate communication between websites and third parties. These standards ensure that consent signals are consistently interpreted and respected throughout the advertising chain.

If you’re looking for an easy way to activate TCF support, you can try iubenda for free!