By Isabella Doyle
23 Feb 2026 · 2 Min Read
The primary goal of this update is to increase transparency for users and ensure that the “consent signals" sent to platforms like Google and Microsoft Ads are more accurate. Specifically, it introduces a mandatory “Disclosed Vendors" segment to prove that a user actually saw the list of vendors before giving consent.
What this means for you:
The good news is, this is a “behind-the-scenes" update. Here is how it breaks down:
Standard Consent Management Platforms (CMPs): If you use a major, Google-certified CMP (such as OneTrust, Cookiebot, Usercentrics, or CookieYes), they are handling this update automatically. No changes are required within your Google Tag Manager (GTM) container.
Custom CMP Implementations: If you use a custom-built consent solution, your development team will need to manually update the “TC String" generation to include the new mandatory fields.
Legacy Consent: Any consent strings collected under the old version (v2.2) before the deadline will remain valid; you do not need to force all users to re-consent immediately.
Next steps & deadlines.
The mandatory deadline to support TCF v2.3 is February 28, 2026. After this date, platforms may stop serving personalised ads to users if the consent signal is not in the new format, which could impact campaign performance.
Action Items:
Verify with your provider: If you use a standard CMP, please quickly confirm with them (or check their documentation) that they have activated TCF v2.3 support.
Custom Setup: Ensure your technical team is aware of the February 28 deadline so they can implement the required changes to your code.
If you have any questions about how this affects your specific tracking setup, feel free to reach out to us!
