The article discusses the European Union’s executive, the Commission, and its use of targeted advertising on social media to promote a proposed law related to online safety. The Commission ran an ad campaign on platform X that used microtargeting, which raised concerns about potential breaches of EU data protection rules.
Here are some key points from the article:
- The EU’s executive has admitted to running an investigation into whether any rules were broken during the ad campaign.
- A complaint was filed with the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) by the group noyb, which could lead to an external investigation and potential fines for the Commission if it is found to have breached the rules.
- The EDPS has powers to sanction EU institutions, including the ability to issue fines and order corrective actions.
- The Commission’s internal investigation is ongoing, but it may be seen as lacking transparency and impartiality since the organization is essentially investigating itself.
The article highlights the tension between the use of targeted advertising for public policy goals and concerns about data protection and transparency. If the Commission is found to have breached the rules, it could face reputational damage and potential fines, which would likely serve as a deterrent against similar actions in the future.
