In light of the swiftly approaching general data protection regulation (GDPR) compliance deadline on May 25, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has announced new tools to ease the transition and standardize consent forms for data collectors.

The GDPR Consent Mechanism is a new “technical standard” that seeks to aid websites and advertisers in complying with the “affirmative consent” aspect of the new data privacy law in the EU. For those not in the know, the GDPR requires that companies processing European personal information simplify their terms and conditions when collecting user data and state exactly what they plan on using said data for.

Key features include:

  • Works on mobile devices and desktop devices alike
  • Enables dynamic disclosure by first parties of third-party advertising partners and the purposes for which they collect and process data
  • Allows obtaining “global” or “service-specific” affirmative consent, as well as updating consent choices and withdrawing consent
  • Enables the transmission of user consent choices to third-party advertising partners
  • Increases accountability in the advertising ecosystem by enabling the creation of consent records and an audit trail
  • Can be deployed before the date of application of the GDPR

“Advertising is a critical revenue stream for online services of all shapes and sizes, be they news publishers, mobile apps and other online media,” said Townsend Feehan, CEO of IAB Europe. “It is an important step that affected players have come together to develop a robust response to the new legislation.”

The IAB hopes that this new technology will become the industry standard, making obtaining and maintaining user consent records simpler and safer for everyone involved.

Though no information is available on when the technology will be officially released, the organization’s “Advertising Consent” website includes a mailing list for future updates.

Forrester recently predicted four out of every five firms affected by the GDPR will not comply by the time it goes into effect in May, but the IAB’s latest efforts are making the process easier for the companies affected by it.

“Companies relying on the future mechanism will have to adhere to principles and criteria that will be developed in consultation with brands, agencies, websites, publishers and tech companies,” the IAB’s press release reads. “These principles will contribute to greater mutual reassurance and trust between all ecosystem participants.”