How Demand-Side Practices Will Change and What the Market Should Expect
The conversation around buyer identifiers in Europe has entered a new phase. The question is no longer whether regulation will tighten, but how demand-side platforms, agencies, and brands will adapt to a landscape where data usage must be justified, not assumed.
By 2026, buyer-side accountability will sit at the center of programmatic decision-making.
From Collection to Justification
Historically, buyer IDs were collected because they were technically available. Consent frameworks often operated as broad permissions rather than precise controls. That approach is becoming increasingly fragile.
Regulators and industry bodies are shifting expectations toward:
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Clear justification for each identifier used
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Proportionality between data collected and purpose declared
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Explicit linkage between consent and activation
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Auditable data flows across the supply chain
This marks a structural change. Buyers will no longer be evaluated only on performance outcomes, but also on how responsibly they achieve them.
TCF Is Evolving, Not Disappearing
The Transparency and Consent Framework is not being replaced. It is being refined.
Future iterations of TCF are expected to place greater emphasis on:
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Buyer-side role clarity
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Accurate declaration of purposes
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Reduced tolerance for vague or bundled consent
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Stronger enforcement across downstream partners
For buyers, this means tighter internal coordination between legal, product, and media teams. Consent management can no longer be treated as a technical checkbox handled in isolation.
What This Means for Buyer IDs
Buyer IDs will not disappear in 2026, but their role will narrow.
We are already seeing:
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Reduced reliance on persistent identifiers
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Increased scrutiny on syncing and enrichment practices
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Growing adoption of contextual and cohort-based strategies
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Simplification of demand-side data stacks
In practice, buyer strategies that depend on heavy identity layers will face friction, while those designed to operate with fewer identifiers will gain resilience.
Market Impact and Consolidation
Regulation has a filtering effect on markets.
Platforms built on excessive data collection, opaque processing, or fragile consent chains will experience rising operational and commercial pressure. At the same time, privacy-first infrastructure will become a competitive advantage rather than a compliance cost.
This dynamic will likely accelerate consolidation on the demand side, favoring players that can demonstrate both performance and accountability.
What Buyers Should Be Doing Now
Forward-looking buyers are already taking steps to:
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Audit identifier usage across campaigns
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Reduce unnecessary data dependencies
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Strengthen contextual and environment-based targeting
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Align consent logic with actual activation practices
By 2026, the most successful buyers will not be those with the most data, but those with the clearest understanding of why they use it.
Regulation is not a blocker to growth. It is a forcing function for better design.
