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Lawful Basis

Also: Legal basis; Legitimate interest

The justification the GDPR requires for any processing of personal data. For advertising the practical choices are consent and legitimate interest; regulators and courts have largely rejected legitimate interest for behavioral advertising, which is why European advertising runs on consent.

Cite this entry: Agency Echelon. "Lawful Basis." Agency Echelon Reference, reviewed September 2026. https://agencyechelon.com/reference/glossary/lawful-basis/

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Reviewed September 23, 2026. Reference text is licensed CC BY 4.0. Privacy