Belgian Court Rules Against TCF Consent Pop-ups: A Major Blow to Tracking-Based Advertising

A landmark Belgian court decision declared the Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF), used by Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and others to obtain consent for data processing on 80% of the internet, illegal. The ruling stems from a complaint coordinated by Dr. Johnny Ryan, highlighting the deceptive nature of TCF's consent mechanisms. The court upheld earlier findings that TCF violates the GDPR. This decision significantly impacts the Real-Time Bidding (RTB) advertising industry, forcing a shift away from its reliance on TCF and pushing for more privacy-respecting alternatives. The ruling has immediate effect across Europe.