Panel Discussion: Advertisement Intelligence by European Security Agencies

Corbinian Ruckerbauer and Thorsten Wetzling organised a panel discussion at CPDP.ai 2025. In this panel debate, our experts discussed with professionals from oversight bodies and intelligence services the implications of Advertisement Intelligence for privacy and security in Europe.

The trade of geolocation data and sensitive personal information raises significant concerns for individual rights. Reports indicate that access to 3.6 billion geolocation records can be purchased for under 14,000 Euros, with European security agencies among the top clients of data brokers.

As regulatory efforts emerge, primarily driven by national security concerns, it is crucial to consider whether legislators are prepared to protect individuals from the unchecked use of commercially available data by governments.

The panel addressed the following questions:

What protections should legislators implement to safeguard individual rights?

How can the capabilities of independent oversight bodies be enhanced?

What actions can European data protection authorities take to close enforcement loopholes?

How can the EU and other organizations advance legal standards regarding Advertisement Intelligence?