IAB Tech Lab Unveils New Privacy Taxonomy for Public Comment

IAB Tech Lab, the global digital advertising technical standards-setting body, announced the release of the IAB Tech Lab Privacy Taxonomy, now available for public comment for the next 30 days. Developed under the guidance of IAB Tech Lab’s Privacy Implementation & Accountability Task Force (PIAT), this new framework addresses the pressing need for businesses to manage personal data more effectively and ensure compliance with privacy regulations.

“Our industry is at a critical juncture where the need for a unified approach to data privacy has never been more urgent,” said Jared Moscow, Director of Product, Privacy, IAB Tech Lab. “The IAB Tech Lab Privacy Taxonomy is more than just a technical standard—it’s a foundational shift in managing data privacy. The Privacy Taxonomy enables businesses to systematically approach the complexities of data privacy with a common framework. We’re proud to lead this initiative and look forward to the industry’s feedback during this public comment period.”

The Privacy Taxonomy represents a significant advancement in data management practices by providing a standardized language for defining, classifying, and communicating personal data. This structured framework enables organizations to accurately label and understand the data they possess in an interoperable way with their business partners, facilitating more transparent and efficient data processing, compliance management, and privacy practices.

Key Features and Business Use Cases of the IAB Tech Lab Privacy Taxonomy:

Data Understanding and Transparency: Allows businesses to categorize data consistently, offering a clear understanding of “what data is held,” “where it resides,” and “why it is used.” This clarity enhances data mapping, cataloging, and labeling, improving overall data management.

Consent Enforcement: A critical function of the taxonomy is its ability to support and enforce regulatory consent requirements. By standardizing the communication of consent, businesses can ensure that the purposes for which data is used are clearly communicated to consumers, leading to greater consistency and compliance across the industry.

Efficient Execution of Privacy Requests: Simplify the process of responding to privacy requests, such as Data Subject Requests (DSR). The taxonomy’s common language allows for more streamlined retrieval, modification, or deletion of personal data, increasing automation in privacy workflows. This helps minimize costs while adding significant business value.

Auditing and Reporting of Data Processing: The taxonomy supports businesses in auditing and reporting their data processing practices. Providing a standardized way to describe data processing conditions enables more effective adherence to internal policies and external regulations, thereby enhancing the ability to audit, improve privacy practices, and facilitate regulatory compliance.

The foundation of the IAB Tech Lab Privacy Taxonomy is rooted in Fides, an open-source taxonomy donated by Ethyca, which has been expanded to meet the needs of today’s digital advertising ecosystem. This enhanced version was developed through a collaborative effort involving leading privacy tech vendors, major publishers, and prominent AdTech organizations, reflecting the industry’s collective commitment to advancing transparent and responsible data practices.

Tim Nagle, Associate General Counsel (Privacy), Dentsu: “Transparency must be the cornerstone of any relationship between businesses and consumers. The IAB Tech Lab Privacy Taxonomy offers a standardized approach that helps bridge the gap between technical data management and real-world privacy concerns. It’s about making privacy practices not just compliant, but also comprehensible and relatable to the people whose data we are entrusted with. This is the kind of progress the industry needs.”

More information about the IAB Tech Lab Privacy Taxonomy and to participate in the public comment period here