Political Microtargeting, Manipulation & Tracking
Over three years ago,
noyb
filed complaints against several German political parties for unlawfully using political microtargeting during the 2021 federal election. Now, the Berlin Data Protection Authority has finally issued decisions concerning the Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens, the Left (Die LINKE), and the CDU. The conclusion: all of them unlawfully used microtargeting. The complaint against the AfD is still pending, because the party tried to fight the DPA’s investigative powers in court.
Original research by ZDF Magazin Royale
Original TV report (on YouTube)
Original complaints by
noyb
Excerpts of the decisions by the Berlin DPA
(DE)
Political microtargeting illegal.
With its new decisions, the Berlin Data Protection Authority has reprimanded several major German political parties (CDU, SPD, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, DIE LINKE) for using sensitive political interests to target internet users with personalised political advertising. Such “microtargeting” is only possible because online platforms create extensive user profiles with people’s interests, habits, interactions and other information. These details can be used to manipulate users in the electoral process. Therefore microtargeting poses a threat to democratic elections.
According to the Berlin authority, there was no legal basis (such as consent) for targeting users based on their personal political interests for advertising. The authority has found that the processing of personal data by the above-mentioned political parties was unlawful.
Felix Mikolasch, data protection lawyer at
noyb
:
“We welcome the Berlin DPA’s decision. Microtargeting poses a threat to democracy, so these decisions provide a level playing field for political parties. It is unfortunate, however, that it took the Authority more than three years. After all, there was another federal election in the meantime.”
AfD challenged the Berlin DPA.
The complaint again
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