The principle of freedom of expression should not be interpreted in the sense that private companies have no responsibility for divulging political information from third parties. As explained in the Joint Report, “the few private actors who own the information superhighways are powerful and deregulated enough to dictate conditions on social, individual and political freedoms, thus becoming a third actor in the democratic arena”, and “the use and abuse of personal data for electoral purposes, cloaked as freedom of commerce, might pose a serious threat to free elections and electoral equity at least in three aspects: first, because private actors might use such information to directly exert undue influence on the electoral competition; second, because internet and social media companies, arguing freedom of commerce, might restrict the access to such information according to their political preferences, hence granting an opaque advantage to some parties or candidates over others; and third, because the commoditisation of personal data represents a challenge to the surveillance of money in political campaigns.” All these conducts could facilitate, conceal or even constitute offences against democracy that must be prosecuted and sanctioned.