Today: Feb 12, 2025

LinkedIn Halts Sensitive Data Advertising Tool to Comply with EU Rules

8 months ago

LinkedIn, the professional networking platform owned by Microsoft, has ceased the use of a controversial tool that allowed targeted advertising based on sensitive personal data.

This decision comes in response to the European Union’s stringent online content regulations, as the company announced on Friday.

The move follows a complaint from civil society organizations to the European Commission, which oversees technology compliance across the 27-member bloc.

The complaint raised concerns that the tool enabled advertisers to target users based on race, sexual orientation, political opinions, and other sensitive data inferred from their membership in LinkedIn groups.

In March, the Commission requested information from LinkedIn regarding these practices, seeking clarification on whether the tool violated the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The DSA mandates that online platforms give users greater control over their data and prohibits the use of sensitive personal information for targeted advertising.

“We’ve decided to adjust those tools by removing the ability to create an advertising audience in Europe that uses membership in LinkedIn Groups as an input,” LinkedIn’s Vice President Patrick Corrigan stated in a LinkedIn post.

“We made this change to prevent any misconception that ads to European members could be indirectly targeted based on special categories of data or related profiling categories.”

EU industry chief Thierry Breton endorsed LinkedIn’s decision, emphasizing the importance of compliance with the DSA.

“The Commission will monitor the effective implementation of LinkedIn’s public pledge to ensure full compliance with the DSA,” Breton said in a statement.

The complaint was lodged by European Digital Rights (EDRi), Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte (GFF), Global Witness, and Bits of Freedom. These organizations hailed LinkedIn’s decision as a significant step towards protecting user privacy.

“Forced by Europe to act, LinkedIn must now widen this policy to users everywhere and ensure it’s not just those in Europe who are protected from invasive ad targeting,” remarked Nienke Palstra of Global Witness.

This development highlights the increasing pressure on tech companies to align their practices with stringent data protection laws, particularly in the European Union, which continues to lead the charge in regulating digital services to safeguard user privacy.

Fabrice Iranzi

Journalist and Project Leader at LionHerald, strong passion in tech and new ideas, serving Digital Company Builders in UK and beyond
E-mail: iranzi@lionherald.com