The New Era of IAB TCF 2.3 : 3 Strategic Changes Publishers and Advertisers Cannot Ignore

Compliance management is no longer just a legal box to tick. It has become the foundation of advertising monetisation, user trust and the sustainability of programmatic revenue.

With the 28 February 2026 deadline approaching, the transition to IAB Europe's Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) v2.3 marks a turning point. At Sirdata, we are anticipating these changes to transform these regulatory constraints into performance levers. We break down the major developments and focus on the response provided by our ABconsent CMP.

⚡️ The New Era of the TCF: What's Changing in Practice

Navigating between the GDPR and the end of third-party cookies is a daily challenge. Versions 2.2 and 2.3 of the TCF require a fundamental recalibration that publishers and advertisers cannot ignore, lest they see their revenues cut off.

Here are the three pillars of this transformation:

🔹The end of ‘legitimate interest’ for advertising

This is a revolution in operational approach. Until now, legitimate interest has been used to justify certain advertising practices without direct consent.

The change : With the new TCF, explicit consent becomes the sole legal basis for personalised advertising and content.
The impact : We must move from passive compliance to active value exchange. Publishers must earn the user's opt-in.
Risk : Without clear consent, no advertising personalisation is possible.

🔹Radical transparency from the very first screen

Disclosure requirements have been strengthened to provide users with complete clarity.

The change : The total number of vendors must be displayed on the first screen of the CMP.
The requirement : For each partner, it is essential to detail the data categories, retention period and specific purposes.
The objective : To enable proper auditing of the supply chain and reassure users.

🔹CMP certification: A requirement for distribution

Compliance is no longer optional for working with industry giants.

The change : Google and other major players now require the use of a certified CMP integrated with the TCF to serve ads in the EEA and the United Kingdom.
The deadline : 28 February 2026 is the cut-off date. After this date, non-compliant systems will be excluded from auctions.
The consequence : It is no longer a risk of a fine, it is an ‘on/off switch’ for your AdSense or Ad Manager operations.

👉 In conclusion, the transition to TCF v2.3 is not technical, it is business. It determines access to advertisers' budgets.

🌐 Why compliance is essential for survival

Beyond the IAB rules, the entire value chain is restructuring around trust and qualified data.

1. Securing revenue

Platforms (SSPs, DSPs) will gradually block inventory that does not transmit consent signals that comply with the new standards (TC String).

2. Data control

Mandatory disclosure by suppliers is forcing publishers to clean up their act. This is an opportunity to regain control over who accesses your data and why.

3. User experience

A clear and transparent consent request is reassuring. Conversely, obscure or non-compliant interfaces increase bounce rates and mistrust.

4. Preparing for a ‘cookieless’ future

TCF 2.3, coupled with solutions such as GTM Server-Side, paves the way for targeting without third-party cookies, by leveraging first-party data.

⚙️ Sirdata's answer: ABconsent and technical peace of mind

Faced with this growing complexity, choosing the right CMP is strategic. Sirdata's ABconsent solution has been designed to absorb these regulatory shocks while maintaining commercial performance.

ABconsent guarantees :

Google Consent Mode V2 certified : An essential prerequisite for the Google Ads and Analytics ecosystem.
Natively compliant with TCF v2.2 / v2.3 : We integrate IAB standards as soon as they are validated to ensure uninterrupted service continuity.
Total flexibility : Customisation of the interface to match your graphic charter and maximise consent rates.

Strategic benefits :

Beyond a simple banner, Sirdata supports you in global data governance :

Interoperability : Seamless communication with all vendors in the programmatic chain.
Server-side GTM : Option to combine the CMP with our server-side optimisation to bypass ad blockers and improve web performance (as discussed in our previous article).
Legal security : Constant monitoring to protect you from unforeseen developments.