LinkedIn restricts targeted advertisements after complaints from privacy organizations

LinkedIn will no longer allow targeted advertisements based on sensitive data on its platform, Bits of Freedom reported on Friday. Earlier this year, the civil rights movement filed a complaint about this with the European Commission.

The social media platform will no longer allow advertisers to target global users in the EEA with ads based on LinkedIn group names, which may contain or reveal sensitive categories of personal data, writes Bits of Freedom. This data concerns, among other things, race, sexuality or political views. However, the restrictions do not apply to users outside the EEA, the organization writes.

“The developments show that the new platform law, the DSA, works and we look forward to taking up and challenging similar cases,” writes Lotje Beek, policy advisor at Bits of Freedom. LinkedIn and parent company Microsoft have not yet said anything about the change.

In February, Bits of Freedom, together with EDRi, Global Witness and Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte, filed a complaint with the European Commission about a possible infringement of the Digital Services Act. A few weeks later, the EC announced that a request had been submitted to LinkedIn to determine whether the platform was violating the law with its advertisements.

Update, 4:51 p.m.: Correct link to source added. The previous link led to this article.