LinkedIn has confirmed that it will no longer allow advertisers to target users based on data obtained from their participation in LinkedIn groups, following pressure from European regulators over potential violations of the Digital Services Act (DSA).
why does it matter The move comes after a coalition of civil society groups filed a complaint with the European Commission in February, alleging that LinkedIn’s ad targeting practices could allow discrimination based on sensitive user data such as race, politics or sexual orientation.
Why we care By removing the ability to create audiences based on LinkedIn Group memberships, a valuable targeting signal is off the table for European campaigns. This could limit the accuracy and potential reach of certain advertising campaigns.
The backdrop. LinkedIn first launched Groups in 2010 to connect users with shared interests, then doubled the feature to its main app starting in 2018.
Curb worries. While its practices comply with DSA rules, LinkedIn has now proactively removed the ability for advertisers to “build an advertising audience” in Europe using group membership data.
The official line. “We made this change to avoid any misconception that ads to European members could be indirectly targeted based on special data categories or related profile categories.” as indicated in the LinkedIn post by Patrick Corrigan, LinkedIn’s vice president of legal and digital security.
Regulatory reaction. “The Commission will monitor the effective implementation of LinkedIn’s public commitment to ensure full compliance with the DSA… It is positive to see that the DSA delivers a change that no other law has achieved so far, in Europe and beyond.” Thierry Breton, EU Internal Market Commissioner to his official statement.
The bigger picture. LinkedIn voluntary movement it comes as its parent Microsoft is already facing regulatory headwinds in Europe. Allows targeted ads to continue without using potentially sensitive group data.
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