IAB to launch ‘Gold Standard 2.0’ with third-party audits

A new iteration of IAB UK’s Gold Standard certificate will be launched later this year, incorporating steps to address privacy concerns, opening up to third-party auditing and potentially delivering spot-check follow-ups.

Crucially, Gold Standard 2.0 will also require companies to adopt IAB Europe’s Transparency & Consent Framework version 2 (TCF v2.0).

This will be introduced in Q4 2020, following a process of industry consultation to agree the compliance criteria for incorporating the TCF within Gold Standard certification.

The original Gold Standard, launched in 2017, provides a seal confirming that a company’s practices have met different criteria – which includes reducing ad fraud, obtaining certification for brand safety, and improving the digital advertising experience by adhering to specific IAB principles.

“The Gold Standard only remains relevant if it evolves to keep pace with challenges our industry faces,” said IAB UK’s chief digital officer Tim Elkington announcing the news at the Digital Trust Forum this week.

“As we seek to improve transparency and build trust in digital advertising, addressing privacy concerns is a key part of that. We will now be embarking on a process of consultation with IAB UK members to agree how to effectively incorporate the TCF into the Gold Standard – a key step as we seek to build a responsible and sustainable future for the digital ad industry.”