13 hours Ago By Sakshi Sadashiv K
Explainer Briefly Slides LinkedIn incurred a 310 million euro fine by European Union regulators for violations of the bloc’s stringent data privacy rules. Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) criticised the Microsoft-owned platform due to concerns about the ‘lawfulness, fairness, and transparency’ of its personal data processing for advertising. LinkedIn Data Practices Inquiry The inquiry investigated LinkedIn’s handling of personal data for behavioural analysis and targeted advertising aimed at users with LinkedIn profiles (members).
Behavioural analysis involves using information provided by, inferred from, or observed about an individual to tailor advertisements directed at that person or to aggregate this data with others for targeted advertising. Targeted advertising refers to the practice of delivering specific advertisements to individuals based on information about them, whether that information is provided directly or inferred and observed. Findings of Infringement of the GDPR The inquiry found that LinkedIn lacked a lawful basis for collecting data to target users with online ads, violating the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Consequently, it has ordered LinkedIn to comply with these rules. The DPC investigated LinkedIn’s use of personal data and found several violations of GDPR. GDPR consists of rules that aim to protect people’s privacy.
The GDPR mandates the processing of personal data in a ‘fair and transparent’ manner. It classifies fairness as an overarching principle. This principle requires that personal data must not be processed in a way that is detrimental, discriminatory, unexpected, or misleading to the data subject.
It states that “an absence of fairness can result in a loss of autonomy of data subjects over their personal data, put them in a position where they may be unable to exercise other GDPR rights, and impact their fundamental rights to privacy and personal data protection.” LinkedIn’s Response LinkedIn stated it believes it has been “in compliance” with the rules. However, it is working to align its advertising practices with requirements, as per an AP News report.
Previous GDPR violations against Microsoft Previously, LinkedIn’s parent company Microsoft faced GDPR violation complaints over school data privacy. In June this year, Microsoft faced two complaints from the privacy advocacy group None Of Your Business (NOYB). The complaints alleged that Microsoft violated children’s data privacy rights through its Microsoft 365 suite by tracking users with cookies without consent and shifting responsibility to schools.
NOYB argued that this violates the EU’s GDPR, emphasising the lack of transparency in Microsoft’s privacy policies. One complaint involves a student who found tracking cookies despite disabling data processing options. NOYB called for an investigation and potential sanctions against Microsoft.
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