The inquiry into LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company was launched by the DPC, in its role as the lead supervisory authority for LinkedIn, following a complaint initially made to the French Data Protection Authority.

The inquiry examined LinkedIn’s processing of personal data, for the purposes of behavioural analysis and targeted advertising, of users who have created LinkedIn profiles.

The decision by commissioners Dr Des Hogan and Dale Sunderland, which was notified to LinkedIn on 22 October 2024, concerns the lawfulness, fairness and transparency of this processing.

The decision includes a reprimand, an order for LinkedIn to bring its processing into compliance and administrative fines totalling €310 million.

The DPC submitted a draft decision to the GDPR cooperation mechanism in July 2024, as required under Article 60 of the GDPR, and no objections were raised.

The final decision records infringements of Articles 5, 6, 13 and 14 of the GDPR.

DPC deputy commissioner Graham Doyle said: “The lawfulness of processing is a fundamental aspect of data protection law and the processing of personal data without an appropriate legal basis is a clear and serious violation of a data subject’s fundamental right to data protection.”

The DPC will publish the full decision and further related information in due course.