Microsoft’s LinkedIn has discontinued a tool that allowed it to use sensitive personal data for targeted advertising to comply with EU online content regulations, the social media platform announced on Friday.
This decision followed a complaint by civil society organizations to the European Commission, which oversees tech regulations for the 27-country bloc.
Under the Digital Services Act, online intermediaries must give users more control over their data, including the option to turn off personalized content. The act prohibits the use of sensitive personal data, such as race, sexual orientation, or political opinions, for targeted ads.
The Commission sent a request for information to LinkedIn in March after the groups raised concerns that the tool might enable advertisers to target users based on racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, and other personal data due to their membership in LinkedIn groups.
“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,” he added.
EU industry chief Thierry Breton welcomed the move, saying, “The Commission will monitor the effective implementation of LinkedIn’s public pledge to ensure full compliance with the DSA.”
The complainant organizations, including European Digital Rights (EDRi), Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte, Global Witness, and Bits of Freedom, praised LinkedIn’s decision.
“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,” Global Witness’ Nienke Palstra said in a statement.
