Certification-backed and AI-enabled, the IAB Diligence Platform expands to Germany, helping brands, agencies, and ad tech companies manage GDPR compliance efficiently across the EU

NEW YORK, April 17, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (BVDW) in partnership with Nexida, today announced the launch of the IAB Diligence Platform, powered by SafeGuard Privacy, in Germany, a standardized privacy diligence solution designed to modernize how digital advertising companies manage GDPR compliance across complex partner ecosystems. Following the successful launch of the first IAB Diligence Platform in the U.S. in 2025, Germany becomes the first European market to adopt the standardized framework.

This launch establishes the platform as a new industry standard for privacy assessments and due diligence in Germany, bringing consistency, scalability, and efficiency to a process that has historically been fragmented and manual. As one of Europe's most privacy-conscious markets, Germany serves as a critical starting point for broader harmonization of compliance practices across the region.

The IAB Diligence Platform enables companies to complete privacy assessments once and securely share them across partners, reducing duplication, accelerating deal cycles, and improving transparency. In addition, BVDW and Nexida are offering a certification layer that provides a recognized standard for demonstrating compliance using data provided in the Platform. With BVDW initiating market activation across Europe, the platform serves as an industry-backed standard that strengthens trust and enables more efficient collaboration.

"Increasing regulatory obligations and the complexity of digital advertising ecosystems require a more standardized and collaborative approach to compliance," said Carsten Rasner, CEO of BVDW. "With the launch of the IAB Diligence Platform in Germany, we are establishing a shared framework that enables companies to operate more efficiently while strengthening trust and accountability across the industry."

"Our goal is to bring greater consistency and transparency to how privacy compliance is managed across the ecosystem," said Christopher Reher, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Nexida. "By introducing a certification-backed framework tailored to the German market, which ties to the IAB Diligence Platform, we are helping organizations navigate GDPR requirements more effectively while reducing duplication and operational burden."

The IAB Diligence Platform is powered by SafeGuard Privacy and purpose-built for the digital advertising ecosystem to standardize and streamline compliance workflows, and builds on its established adoption in the U.S. market. It serves as a centralized platform for managing and sharing diligence assessments, combining standardized frameworks, ecosystem-specific data-flow modules adapted for EU regulations, and secure document and evidence management to support vendor diligence at scale.

"The regulatory environment now demands structured documentation, supply chain transparency, and accountability at every level," said Richy Glassberg, Founder and CEO of SafeGuard Privacy. "Bringing the IAB Diligence Platform to Germany ensures organizations can meet these expectations with a scalable, auditable framework that reduces friction and supports global compliance."

The platform also introduces advanced capabilities to improve efficiency, including Privacy Assist™ AI, which helps organizations prepare responses to GDPR-related assessments by identifying relevant evidence and recommending responses based on existing documentation. By reducing duplication, accelerating RFI response times, and enabling companies to share assessments across partners, the platform helps remove compliance bottlenecks that often delay partnerships and revenue opportunities.

"Managing privacy compliance across a large network of partners has historically been time-consuming and resource-intensive," said Michael Hahn, EVP & General Counsel at IAB. "Standardizing diligence and enabling secure information sharing is a critical step toward making compliance more scalable and sustainable for the entire ecosystem."

The launch marks the introduction of the first standardized privacy diligence framework for the digital advertising industry in Germany. As regulatory scrutiny increases, industry-wide approaches like the IAB Diligence Platform will play a key role in improving transparency and enabling more efficient collaboration across the ecosystem.

About Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (BVDW)

Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (BVDW) is Germany's leading association for the digital economy and the official IAB affiliate in Germany. Representing companies across digital marketing, advertising, and technology, BVDW develops industry standards, promotes innovation, and supports responsible, privacy-conscious digital business practices across the German and European markets.

About Nexida

Nexida is a leading provider of privacy, compliance, and data governance consulting services and solutions for the digital advertising ecosystem. With deep expertise in GDPR and European regulatory frameworks, Nexida helps organizations streamline compliance operations, reduce risk, and build trust across complex partner networks.

About SafeGuard Privacy

SafeGuard Privacy is the leading privacy compliance platform for the digital advertising ecosystem, providing standardized assessments, automated workflows, and AI-enabled tools that help organizations manage regulatory obligations at scale. SafeGuard Privacy powers the IAB Diligence Platform globally, enabling companies to complete, certify, and share privacy assessments efficiently and securely.

About IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau)

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and collaboration of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.

Media Contact

Lana McGilvray, SafeGuard Privacy, 1 512.970.8310, lana@purposenorthamerica.com, https://safeguardprivacy.com/

Matt Anderson, SafeGuard Privacy, 1 9174074047, matt@safeguardprivacy.com, SafeGuard Privacy

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SOURCE SafeGuard Privacy