TCF v2.0 Definitions

Vendor

“Vendor” means a company that participates in the delivery of digital advertising within a Publisher’s website, app, or other digital content to the extent that the company is not acting as a Publisher or CMP, and that it either accesses an end user’s device or processes personal data about end users visiting the Publisher’s content while adhering to the Policies. A Vendor may be considered under the GDPR to be a Controller, a Processor, or both, depending on specific circumstances.

Purpose

“Purpose” means one of the defined purposes for the processing of data, including users’ personal data, by participants in the Framework. These purposes are defined in the Policies or the Specifications for which Vendors declare a Legal Basis in the GVL and for which the user is given a choice, i.e., to consent or to object depending on the Legal Basis for the processing, by a CMP.

Special Purpose

“Special Purpose” means one of the defined purposes for the processing of data, including users’ data, by participants in the Framework. These purposes are defined in the Policies or the Specifications for which Vendors declare a Legal Basis in the GVL and for which the user is not given choice by a CMP.

Feature

“Feature” means one of the features of processing personal data used by participants in the Framework. The feature is defined in the Policies or the Specifications and used in pursuit of one or more Purposes for which the user is not given choice apart from the choice given regarding the Purposes for which they are used.

Special Feature

“Special Feature” means one of the features used for processing personal data used by participants in the Framework. These features are defined in the Policies or the Specifications used in pursuit of one or more Purposes for which the user is given the choice to opt-in separately from the choice given regarding the Purposes they support.

Stack

“Stack” means one of the combinations of Purposes and/or Special Features for processing personal data used by participants in the Framework. It may be used to substitute or supplement more granular Purpose and/or Special Feature descriptions in the initial layer of a UI.

Legal Basis

“Legal Basis” means a lawful ground for processing as defined in Article 6 GDPR and supported by the Framework, which constitutes consent under Article 6(1)(a) GDPR and legitimate interest per Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.

Legitimate Interest

Under the GDPR, a legal basis is required for processing a user’s data. While consent is the most common legal basis for processing a user’s data, Legitimate Interest is another legal basis that a Vendor may use when processing is necessary for the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or a third party.