While navigating the world of online privacy, you’ve likely come across two key mechanisms—Global Privacy Control (GPC) and Global Privacy Platform (GPP). These technologies are designed to empower users and help businesses comply with privacy laws, but they serve different purposes and target distinct audiences.
Let’s dive into what GPC and GPP are, how they function, and what they mean for you 👇
The Global Privacy Control (GPC) is a user-centric feature designed to give consumers direct control over how their personal data is shared when they visit websites. It allows users to signal their privacy preferences directly from their web browser, helping them manage the way their personal information is used—whether it’s being tracked, shared, or sold.
Developed by a group of publishers, tech companies, and developers, GPC is a response to rising concerns about online tracking. Much like older “Do Not Track” technologies, GPC helps users express their desire for privacy by enabling a signal that informs websites of their preferences.
With GPC, privacy-conscious users can easily:
On the other hand, the Global Privacy Platform (GPP) is primarily designed for the ad-tech industry. It serves as a framework to help businesses, advertisers, and tech companies manage and comply with various privacy regulations. GPP facilitates the communication of privacy choices related to tracking and advertising in a way that adheres to region-specific regulations.
Unlike GPC, which is consumer-facing, GPP focuses on managing privacy preferences at scale, ensuring that businesses comply with privacy laws while balancing their need to collect data for marketing and advertising purposes.
With GPP, companies can:
For consumers, GPC is straightforward. Users can enable GPC within their web browser or via a plugin, much like setting up an ad-blocker. Once activated, GPC sends a signal to all websites the user visits, communicating their desire for their data to not be sold or shared.
This signal is automatically recognized by websites that support GPC, streamlining the process of opting out of data sharing. Importantly, GPC is legally recognized in many jurisdictions, meaning websites must honor the request to stop selling personal data if applicable laws require it (like in the US under CCPA).
GPP operates at a broader industry level. It’s a framework that allows companies to respect user privacy choices while complying with privacy regulations that vary by region. For instance, GPP might be used to manage the consent given by users for tracking cookies, data sharing, or targeted advertising under laws like GDPR or CCPA.
By using GPP, businesses can streamline privacy management and ensure they comply with both user preferences and legal requirements without needing to implement a separate system for each region they operate in. GPP is particularly beneficial for global enterprises and organizations that engage in digital advertising.
| Feature | Global Privacy Control (GPC) | Global Privacy Control (GPC) |
| Target Audience | Consumers (end-users) – Privacy-conscious individuals who want control over how their personal data is used online. | Businesses (ad-tech, marketers, advertisers) – Companies managing large-scale data collection, tracking, and compliance with multiple privacy regulations. |
| Purpose | To allow users to easily signal their privacy preferences (e.g., opt-out of data sharing/selling) directly from their browser. | To help businesses comply with privacy laws (like GDPR, CCPA) and manage privacy choices related to tracking, advertising, and data processing. |
| Scope of Use | Primarily for individual users to stop websites from sharing or selling their personal data without needing to interact with each website individually. | For businesses to manage user consent and compliance across various legal frameworks, especially for advertising and tracking activities. |
| Implementation | Activated via browser settings or browser extensions like an ad-blocker. Sends a signal to websites notifying them of the user’s preference not to share or sell their data. | Integrated within business platforms (ad-tech, consent management systems) to facilitate communication and compliance with user privacy preferences across different regions and legal requirements. |
| Legal Frameworks | Recognized under laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) which require businesses to respect GPC signals when users opt out of data selling. | Supports compliance with global privacy regulations, such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), CCPA, and other region-specific laws governing personal data collection and tracking. |
| Privacy Focus | Focused on user privacy, giving consumers direct control over their personal data. Stops tracking, data sharing, and data selling based on user preferences. | Focused on business compliance and managing privacy at scale, particularly in advertising and data analytics where companies must manage consent and tracking globally. |
| Ad-Tech Integration | No direct integration with advertising platforms. Its main purpose is to prevent tracking and selling of user data from the consumer’s perspective. | Highly integrated within the ad-tech ecosystem, helping companies track user consent for targeted advertising, cookie management, and data collection activities. |
| Complexity | Simple for users to enable within their browsers. Once activated, the signal is sent automatically to websites. | Complex for businesses, requiring integration with privacy and consent management systems to handle user preferences at a large scale across various legal frameworks. |
| Who Should Use It? | Consumers who want to exercise control over their data privacy easily through browser settings. | Businesses in the ad-tech industry or companies managing global operations that require a unified privacy framework to respect user consent and comply with regional privacy laws. |
As a consumer, GPC empowers you to take control of your personal data with minimal effort. With privacy laws becoming more robust—especially in the US, where new measures are being introduced—more websites are required to honor the GPC signal. This ensures that your right to privacy is upheld without needing to manually adjust your settings for each site.
For businesses, iubenda offers a seamless integration that supports both GPC and GPP signals. Our systems automatically detect and respect GPC signals, simplifying the process for end-users who wish to opt out of data sharing. Meanwhile, our compatibility with GPP ensures that your business can manage privacy compliance effectively across multiple jurisdictions, including ad-tech and marketing purposes.
So stay tuned and keep an eye on the always-changing environment of privacy legislation, and sign up below!
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