BRUSSELS, June 7 (Reuters) - Microsoft's ( MSFT )

LinkedIn has discontinued a tool that allows it to use sensitive

personal data for targeted advertising in order to comply with

EU online content rules, the social media platform said on

Friday.

The move by the company followed a complaint by civil

society organisations to the European Commission, which also

acts as the tech watchdog for the 27-country bloc.

Under the Digital Services Act (DSA), online intermediaries

are required to give users more control on the use of their

data, with an option for them to turn off personalised content.

Companies are not allowed to use sensitive personal data

such as race, sexual orientation or political opinions for their

targeted ads.

The Commission had in March sent a request for information

to LinkedIn after the groups said the tool may allow advertisers

to target LinkedIn users based on racial or ethnic origin,

political opinions and other personal data due to their

membership of LinkedIn groups.

"We've decided to adjust those tools by removing the ability

to create an advertising audience in Europe that uses membership

in LinkedIn Groups as an input," LinkedIn's Vice President

Patrick Corrigan said in a LinkedIn post.

"We made this change to prevent any misconception that ads

to European members could be indirectly targeted based on

special categories of data or related profiling categories," he

said.

EU industry chief Thierry Breton welcomed the move.

"The Commission will monitor the effective implementation of

LinkedIn's public pledge to ensure full compliance with the

DSA," he said in a statement.

Complainants European Digital Rights (EDRi), Gesellschaft

für Freiheitsrechte (GFF), Global Witness and Bits of Freedom

cheered the LinkedIn move.

"Forced by Europe to act, LinkedIn must now widen this

policy to users everywhere and ensure it's not just those in

Europe who are protected from invasive ad targeting," Global

Witness' Nienke Palstra said in a statement.