The Norwegian Data Protection Authority (Datatilsynet) warns about systemic risks related to personal data auctions conducted within the framework of real-time targeted advertising.

This system, known as real-time bidding, operates like an automated marketplace where user information is broadcast to a vast network of advertising companies as soon as they open an app or visit a website. Citing a 2022 report from the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL), the authority notes that the data of an average Norwegian citizen is shared about 340 times per day. Datatilsynet considers this system unsustainable, as the dissemination of data occurs at such a scale and speed that users lose all possibility of control and oversight over the use of their information, effectively rendering them powerless.

The authority also highlights that this uncontrolled data dissemination poses a potential risk to national security, indicating that foreign intelligence services exploit these commercial data shares. Consequently, Datatilsynet reiterates its position in favor of a complete ban on behavioral advertising to put an end to these practices.