United States fines LinkedIn $334 million for violating GDPR.

LinkedIn is facing a fine of 310 million euros (334 million dollars) imposed by the European Union after the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) concluded that the platform had improperly conducted behavioral analysis of its members' personal data for the purpose of targeted advertising. This ruling states that LinkedIn violated the GDPR by failing to obtain adequate consent or demonstrate a legitimate interest or contractual necessity for processing the data collected by both the company and third parties.

Additionally, the DPC criticized LinkedIn and ordered it to collect all information in accordance with the regulations. Graham Doyle, the Deputy Commissioner of the DPC, stated: "The legality of processing is a fundamental aspect of data protection legislation, and processing personal data without an appropriate legal basis is a clear and serious violation of the fundamental right of data subjects to have their information protected."

This decision stems from a complaint filed in 2018 by the French non-profit organization La Quadrature Du Net, which conducted an initial investigation into whether LinkedIn was processing its users' personal data in a legal, fair, and transparent manner. The issue was initially raised with the French Data Protection Authority and was transferred to the DPC because LinkedIn's European headquarters is located in Ireland.

A spokesperson for LinkedIn issued a statement in response to the decision: "Today, the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) reached a final decision regarding claims from 2018 about some of our digital advertising practices in the EU. While we believe we have been in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we are working to ensure that our advertising practices align with the DPC's decision within the set timeframe."