Are you aware of the new EU rules on political advertising?

Digital technologies and social media have transformed political advertising and, if unregulated, can threaten citizens’ democratic rights.

Political sponsorships, both online and offline, play a key role in influencing perceptions of political institutions, elected leaders and opinions, especially in the run-up to elections.

Digital technology and social media have given political actors enormous influence at a fraction of the cost. While they have the opportunity to make more voices heard, they are sometimes used to spread misinformation, divide political debate and manipulate voters.

Targeting techniques are often used in the context of political advertising. Targeting or amplification techniques are techniques used to personalise political advertisements for specific individuals or groups of people or to increase the reach, impact or visibility of political advertisements. Given the power of targeting and the associated potential for misuse of personal data, in particular through micro-targeting and other advanced technologies, such technologies can seriously threaten legitimate public interests, such as fairness, equal opportunities and transparency of the electoral process. and the fundamental right to receive information in an objective, transparent and pluralistic manner.

The various opportunities and challenges of big data play a central role. Social media platforms and other digital service providers can collect personal data about their users and use it for micro-segmentation, a strategy that uses demographic and consumer data to identify users’ interests, lifestyles and preferences.

Micro-segmentation can be used to increase the spread of misinformation and create echo chambers, which occur when specific information or ideas are spread over and over again. The use of sensitive personal data for advertising practices such as micro-targeting has negative effects on citizens’ rights, including freedom of opinion, access to objective, transparent and pluralistic information and their ability to make political choices.

Commission sets out concrete actions for greater involvement of social partners at national and EU level

Transparency of advertising sources

Citizens may have misinformation or lack of information about who is behind the content they receive. For example, behind seemingly neutral information there may be an entity from a foreign country that is trying to influence the elections.

Cross-border reach and lack of common rules

Those who do not exploit such practices may be at a disadvantage, harming fairness and equality of opportunity, especially during elections.

While online and offline advertising is cross-border, there is no EU-wide legislation in this area.

Traditional rules can be ineffective, as they are often difficult to enforce when applied online, where new technologies and tools create opportunities to influence and target voters.

The manipulation of micro-segmentation causes disadvantages and affects equal opportunities, especially during elections.

Although online and offline advertising is cross-border, there is no EU legislation regulating it.

Traditional rules can be ineffective and are often difficult to enforce when applied online, where new technologies create opportunities to influence and target voters.

New European rules on political advertising

With the aim of creating a safer and fairer digital environment, the European Parliament adopted the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act in 2022.

In February 2023, the Parliament supported a proposal for rules aimed at preventing abusive political advertising, online and offline. Parliament’s negotiators aim to reach an agreement on the rules with EU countries in time for the 2024 European elections. In the plenary debate before the vote, French MEP Sandro Gozi of the Renew group, responsible for the proposal in Parliament, said: “We want more transparency, we want better protection against disinformation and foreign interference, we want a real and genuine single market for political advertising”.

Source: European Parliament