Advertising Transparency Requirements

The DSA imposes strict transparency requirements for online advertising to empower users and enable public oversight.

Advertisement Labeling

Online platforms must ensure advertisements are clearly identifiable as such and must provide information about:

• The natural or legal person on whose behalf the ad is presented
• The person who paid for the ad (if different)
• Meaningful information about main parameters determining why the ad was shown to that specific user

Restrictions on Targeting

• Profiling with Special Category Data: Platforms cannot present ads based on profiling using sensitive personal data (racial origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, health data, sexual orientation)
• Minors: Platforms cannot present targeted ads to users they know with reasonable certainty are minors

Advertisement Repository (VLOPs)

Very large platforms must maintain publicly accessible repositories containing:

• Content of advertisements
• Advertiser and payer identity
• Period ad was presented
• Whether ad targeted specific groups and the main parameters used
• Total number of recipients reached

Data must be retained for one year and be searchable and accessible for research purposes.