European Union: European Commission closed investigation following LinkedIn discontinuation of targeted ads based on sensitive personal data

On 7 June 2024, LinkedIn announced the discontinuation of its ad targeting functionality based on LinkedIn Group memberships within the EU Single Market. This decision was in response to the European Commission's investigation to determine compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA), initiated by a civil society complaint. The complaint highlighted concerns that LinkedIn's feature might allow advertisers to target users based on sensitive personal data, potentially breaching DSA regulations against targeting ads by special categories of personal data. EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton confirmed LinkedIn's voluntary action and emphasised the Commission's commitment to monitoring LinkedIn's adherence to the DSA.