[foxfluff]

> Targeted ads are not the same as tracked ads. Shoe HN posts are targeted ads.

I don't believe that's considered targeted advertising under the DSA. If you're not dynamically selecting an ad to display based on data you have on me, it's not a targeted ad. It's just a contextual ad. A shoe HN post is static, can be read by anyone, there's no targeting logic involved, and you have no personal or behavioral data based on which to target.

"An ad that's meant to be appealing to white male software engineers 25-35 years old" isn't a targeted ad unless there's a system that serves it specifically to the target market.

EDIT: To support my point, the first proposal for Article 2b I found in the DSA documents:

    Article 2b

    Targeting of digital advertising

    1. Providers of information society services shall not collect or
    process personal data as defined in Article 4, point (1), of
    Regulation (EU) 2016/679 for the purpose of targeting the
    recipients to whom advertisements are displayed.

    2. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, for the purpose
    of targeting the recipients to whom advertisements for commercial
    purposes are displayed, providers of information society services
    may only collect and use the personal data of recipients who have
    given their consent as defined in Article 4, point (11), of
    Regulation (EU) 2016/679 explicitly to such collection and use.
    [..]