The respect of the personal data protection legislation shall be granted when parties, single candidates or their groups process personal data in the electoral work, for example for advertising purposes.

The personal data processing recollected by social media shall also respect transparency, purposes and lawfulness obligations.

The electoral work usually brings the personal data processing of supporters. The electoral advertising can be based on the usage of personal data. All the personal data processing related to the electoral work shall be planned in time.

Before starting the personal data processing for the electoral campaign, it shall be defined the purposes for which personal data will be processed. The personal data processing shall be communicated in an open way and comprehensible to those one whose data are object of the processing.

Personal data can be used only for specific purposes for which they were recollected and communicated to data subjects. It shall be granted the safe and sure management of data.

Before starting the processing, it is necessary determine which is the basis for the personal data processing. The criteria for the processing shall be defined also when personal data are recollected by different sources from data subjects (for example social media).

The political advertising can represent a risk for fundamental rights

If the electoral advertising is using a targeted advertising based on personal data, to subjects of the advertising shall be provided sufficient information of the reason why they have been targeted and on how they can exercise their personal data protection rights.

If are revealed political opinions on personal data, those data are part of specific group of personal data. The personal data processing of those data is stricter due to their sensitiveness.

The targeted advertising and the profiling can involve serious risks for privacy and other fundamental rights if personal data protection legislation are not respected. Electoral harassment occurs when the purpose of the electoral debate is, for example, to mislead false news and false information by spreading, provoking and exacerbating it.

Advertising tools on social media platforms allow delivery of personalized ads and messages targeted by interests, lifestyles and values. Profiling and targeting can be very accurate if the information is combined and integrated with the information on the websites visited.

Social media users can try to limit targeting by changing their social media account settings and considering what information they share about social media services.

SOURCE: AUTORITA’ PER LA PROTEZIONE DEI DATI DELLA FINLANDIA