LinkedIn has disabled a feature allowing advertisers to target European users based on membership in ‘LinkedIn Groups’ after concerns over compliance with rules set out in the European Commission’s Digital Services Act (DSA).

In August 2023, Europe’s landmark rules for online platforms – the DSA – came into effect, which aims to rein in Big Tech and protect the safety of users online.

The law aims to create a ‘rulebook’ for online platforms by regulating companies’ content moderation policies and advertising practices. It also requires that platforms share details of their algorithms with regulators and, in certain cases, independent researchers.

The latest platform to make changes under this act is Microsoft-owned LinkedIn. Following complaints that advertisers were able to target users on the basis of their membership in ‘LinkedIn Groups’ – creating a violation around ad profiling – the platform has now disabled this feature.

The issue was first brought to the European Commission’s attention...