Is the EU about to ban targeted ads?

Late in 2020, the European Commission issued long-awaited proposals for a Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA). Both proposals recognised the importance of advertising for Europe’s digital economy, and especially for SMEs. 

Yet some MEPs want to amend the DSA to include an outright ban on ‘targeted advertising’, a broad and ill-defined concept which if implemented could upend the business model of vast swathes of the internet, with serious implications for free media, for SME digitalisation, for consumer choice and for the entire marketing industry. 

Could a ban actually be imposed? What would this mean for news publishers and digital marketers? What alternatives are being considered? Get the answers from our expert panel of industry and EU experts.