LinkedIn: Difference between revisions

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==Data Privacy==

LinkedIn automatically opts you into their program named "Data for Generative AI Improvement", or "GAI", which automatically says you agree to "Use my data for training content creation models."<ref>[https://www.linkedin.com/~~mypreferences/d/settings~~/data-~~for~~-ai-improvement ~~Data~~ for Generative AI ~~Improvement~~] - linkedin.com - ~~29 Jan 2025~~</ref> This comes with fine print which states, "This setting controls the training of generative AI models used to create content. When this setting is on LinkedIn and its affiliates may use your personal data and content you create on LinkedIn for that purpose."

LinkedIn automatically opts you into their program named "Data for Generative AI Improvement", or "GAI", which automatically says you agree to "Use my data for training content creation models."<ref>[https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin-collecting-data-generative-ai-improvement-brian-sykes-wyjme LinkedIn collecting ‘Data for Generative AI Improvement’] - linkedin.com ([https://web.archive.org/web/20240926163201/https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin-collecting-data-generative-ai-improvement-brian-sykes-wyjme/ Archived])</ref> This comes with fine print which states, "This setting controls the training of generative AI models used to create content. When this setting is on LinkedIn and its affiliates may use your personal data and content you create on LinkedIn for that purpose."

This automatically gives LinkedIn the license to use your personal data and the content you create to train their models. Even if you opt out, the personal data and content the platform has already used will not be deleted.<ref name="linkedin-faq">[https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a5538339 LinkedIn and generative AI (GAI) FAQs] - linkedin.com - 29 Jan 2025. [https://web.archive.org/web/20250124150439/https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a5538339 Archived] 24 Jan 2025.</ref>

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===Account Verification===

Verifying a LinkedIn account (i.e. acquiring a blue checkmark) requires sending a full copy of the user's passport to a third party service provider, Persona. Biometric data of several kinds such as typing patterns are also collected by Persona. The company then retains the right to store the information, share it with third party data brokers and train AI on the passport and the passport photo. <ref>{{Cite web |first=~~Rogi~~ |date=2026-02-16 |title=I Verified My LinkedIn Identity. Here's What I Actually Handed Over. |url=https://thelocalstack.eu/posts/linkedin-identity-verification-privacy/ |archive-url=https://archive.ph/~~4IUtj~~ |archive-date=2026~~-02-23~~ |access-date=2026-03-31 |website=~~The Local Stack~~}}</ref>

Verifying a LinkedIn account (i.e. acquiring a blue checkmark) requires sending a full copy of the user's passport to a third party service provider, Persona. Biometric data of several kinds such as typing patterns are also collected by Persona. The company then retains the right to store the information, share it with third party data brokers and train AI on the passport and the passport photo. <ref>{{Cite web |first= |date=2026-02-16 |title=I Verified My LinkedIn Identity. Here's What I Actually Handed Over. |url=https://thelocalstack.eu/posts/linkedin-identity-verification-privacy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260405141228/https://thelocalstack.eu/posts/linkedin-identity-verification-privacy/ |archive-date=5 Apr 2026 |access-date=2026-03-31 |website=TheLocalStack}}</ref>

For users outside the United States, this also means that their personal and biometric data is sent to US servers, where they are accessible to US authorities.

==Account Deletion==

Some users have reported that the browser LinkedIn version disables the "Done" button at the end of the "Delete your account" flow.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Why won’t LinkedIn let you delete your account? It's like they've disabled the close account button. |url=https://www.quora.com/Why-won-t-LinkedIn-let-you-delete-your-account-Its-like-theyve-disabled-the-close-account-button |website=Quora}}</ref> They had to modify source HTML via Source Inspector to close their account.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 Jun 2025 |title=LinkedIn Account Deletion button disabled |url=https://youtu.be/497YdWlDsAw |access-date=2 Apr 2026 |website=Youtube}}</ref> Users that reported this error also reported that it exists since 2022, and it hasn't been fixed since then.

Some users have reported that the browser LinkedIn version disables the "Done" button at the end of the "Delete your account" flow.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Why won’t LinkedIn let you delete your account? It's like they've disabled the close account button. |url=https://www.quora.com/Why-won-t-LinkedIn-let-you-delete-your-account-Its-like-theyve-disabled-the-close-account-button |url-status=live |archive-url=https://megalodon.jp/2026-0406-0148-57/https://www.quora.com:443/Why-won-t-LinkedIn-let-you-delete-your-account-Its-like-theyve-disabled-the-close-account-button |archive-date=5 Apr 2026 |website=Quora}}</ref> They had to modify source HTML via Source Inspector to close their account.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 Jun 2025 |title=LinkedIn Account Deletion button disabled |url=https://youtu.be/497YdWlDsAw |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=497YdWlDsAw |archive-date=5 Apr 2026 |access-date=2 Apr 2026 |website=Youtube}}</ref> Users that reported this error also reported that it exists since 2022, and it hasn't been fixed since then.

Potential solutions:

@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 ==Data Privacy==
-LinkedIn automatically opts you into their program named "Data for Generative AI Improvement", or "GAI", which automatically says you agree to "Use my data for training content creation models."<ref>[https://www.linkedin.com/mypreferences/d/settings/data-for-ai-improvement Data for Generative AI Improvement] - linkedin.com - 29 Jan 2025</ref> This comes with fine print which states, "This setting controls the training of generative AI models used to create content. When this setting is on LinkedIn and its affiliates may use your personal data and content you create on LinkedIn for that purpose." <!-- Someone will have to login to LinkedIn to get a photo backup (even if that's questionable legitimacy wise) -->
+LinkedIn automatically opts you into their program named "Data for Generative AI Improvement", or "GAI", which automatically says you agree to "Use my data for training content creation models."<ref>[https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin-collecting-data-generative-ai-improvement-brian-sykes-wyjme LinkedIn collecting ‘Data for Generative AI Improvement’] - linkedin.com ([https://web.archive.org/web/20240926163201/https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin-collecting-data-generative-ai-improvement-brian-sykes-wyjme/ Archived])</ref> This comes with fine print which states, "This setting controls the training of generative AI models used to create content. When this setting is on LinkedIn and its affiliates may use your personal data and content you create on LinkedIn for that purpose." <!-- Someone will have to login to LinkedIn to get a photo backup (even if that's questionable legitimacy wise) -->
 This automatically gives LinkedIn the license to use your personal data and the content you create to train their models. Even if you opt out, the personal data and content the platform has already used will not be deleted.<ref name="linkedin-faq">[https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a5538339 LinkedIn and generative AI (GAI) FAQs] - linkedin.com - 29 Jan 2025. [https://web.archive.org/web/20250124150439/https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a5538339 Archived] 24 Jan 2025.</ref>
@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 ===Account Verification===
-Verifying a LinkedIn account (i.e. acquiring a blue checkmark) requires sending a full copy of the user's passport to a third party service provider, Persona. Biometric data of several kinds such as typing patterns are also collected by Persona. The company then retains the right to store the information, share it with third party data brokers and train AI on the passport and the passport photo. <ref>{{Cite web |first=Rogi |date=2026-02-16 |title=I Verified My LinkedIn Identity. Here's What I Actually Handed Over. |url=https://thelocalstack.eu/posts/linkedin-identity-verification-privacy/ |archive-url=https://archive.ph/4IUtj |archive-date=2026-02-23 |access-date=2026-03-31 |website=The Local Stack}}</ref>
+Verifying a LinkedIn account (i.e. acquiring a blue checkmark) requires sending a full copy of the user's passport to a third party service provider, Persona. Biometric data of several kinds such as typing patterns are also collected by Persona. The company then retains the right to store the information, share it with third party data brokers and train AI on the passport and the passport photo. <ref>{{Cite web |first= |date=2026-02-16 |title=I Verified My LinkedIn Identity. Here's What I Actually Handed Over. |url=https://thelocalstack.eu/posts/linkedin-identity-verification-privacy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260405141228/https://thelocalstack.eu/posts/linkedin-identity-verification-privacy/ |archive-date=5 Apr 2026 |access-date=2026-03-31 |website=TheLocalStack}}</ref>
 For users outside the United States, this also means that their personal and biometric data is sent to US servers, where they are accessible to US authorities.
 ==Account Deletion==
-Some users have reported that the browser LinkedIn version disables the "Done" button at the end of the "Delete your account" flow.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Why won’t LinkedIn let you delete your account? It's like they've disabled the close account button. |url=https://www.quora.com/Why-won-t-LinkedIn-let-you-delete-your-account-Its-like-theyve-disabled-the-close-account-button |website=Quora}}</ref> They had to modify source HTML via Source Inspector to close their account.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 Jun 2025 |title=LinkedIn Account Deletion button disabled |url=https://youtu.be/497YdWlDsAw |access-date=2 Apr 2026 |website=Youtube}}</ref> Users that reported this error also reported that it exists since 2022, and it hasn't been fixed since then.
+Some users have reported that the browser LinkedIn version disables the "Done" button at the end of the "Delete your account" flow.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Why won’t LinkedIn let you delete your account? It's like they've disabled the close account button. |url=https://www.quora.com/Why-won-t-LinkedIn-let-you-delete-your-account-Its-like-theyve-disabled-the-close-account-button |url-status=live |archive-url=https://megalodon.jp/2026-0406-0148-57/https://www.quora.com:443/Why-won-t-LinkedIn-let-you-delete-your-account-Its-like-theyve-disabled-the-close-account-button |archive-date=5 Apr 2026 |website=Quora}}</ref> They had to modify source HTML via Source Inspector to close their account.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 Jun 2025 |title=LinkedIn Account Deletion button disabled |url=https://youtu.be/497YdWlDsAw |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=497YdWlDsAw |archive-date=5 Apr 2026 |access-date=2 Apr 2026 |website=Youtube}}</ref> Users that reported this error also reported that it exists since 2022, and it hasn't been fixed since then.
 Potential solutions: