Fact Check: Ninety TCF vendors and nineteen ad partners may process and store personal data from users' devices, including cookies and unique identifiers.

Fact Check: "Ninety TCF vendors and nineteen ad partners may process and store personal data from users' devices, including cookies and unique identifiers."

What We Know

The claim states that "ninety TCF vendors and nineteen ad partners may process and store personal data from users' devices, including cookies and unique identifiers." This assertion is rooted in the workings of the Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) established by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). According to the IAB's documentation, the TCF is designed to help companies comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by providing a standardized way to obtain user consent for data processing.

The TCF includes a Global Vendor List (GVL), which identifies the vendors that are authorized to process personal data. As of the latest updates, the GVL lists a significant number of vendors and ad partners. For instance, one source mentions that there are currently 136 TCF vendors and 66 ad partners involved in data processing activities (source-1). This indicates that the number of vendors is indeed substantial, but the exact numbers may vary depending on the specific context or time of reference.

Analysis

The claim about "ninety TCF vendors and nineteen ad partners" appears to be a simplification or a snapshot of a larger and more dynamic landscape. The numbers cited in the claim do not align with the most recent figures provided by the TCF documentation, which indicates that there are significantly more vendors and partners involved in data processing (source-1).

Moreover, the TCF framework allows these vendors to process various types of personal data, including cookies and unique identifiers, as stated in the GDPR guidelines (source-4). The framework is designed to ensure that users are informed about how their data will be used and to obtain their consent for such processing (source-5).

However, it is important to note that the effectiveness and compliance of the TCF have been questioned. For example, some critiques highlight that the TCF has faced challenges in ensuring that all vendors adhere to GDPR requirements (source-4). This raises concerns about the reliability of the claim, as the actual number of compliant vendors may fluctuate.

In summary, while the claim captures the essence of the TCF's purpose and the involvement of vendors in data processing, it does not accurately reflect the most current data regarding the number of vendors and partners.

Conclusion

Verdict: Partially True

The claim is partially true because it accurately reflects the involvement of TCF vendors and ad partners in processing personal data, including cookies and unique identifiers. However, the specific numbers cited (ninety vendors and nineteen partners) are outdated or inaccurate compared to the current figures, which indicate a much larger number of participants. Therefore, while the essence of the claim is correct, the details are misleading.

Fact Check: Ninety TCF vendors and nineteen ad partners may process and store personal data from users' devices, including cookies and unique identifiers.