LinkedIn: Difference between revisions
→Browser Scanning and Personal Data Mining: correct the statement regarding corporate espionage |
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As of 29 January 2025, LinkedIn FAQ mentions that it does <i>"not currently train content-generating AI models on data from members located in Canada, the EU, EEA, UK, Switzerland, Hong Kong, or Mainland China."</i><ref name="linkedin-faq" /> | As of 29 January 2025, LinkedIn FAQ mentions that it does <i>"not currently train content-generating AI models on data from members located in Canada, the EU, EEA, UK, Switzerland, Hong Kong, or Mainland China."</i><ref name="linkedin-faq" /> | ||
As of 19 September 2025, LinkedIn banner announcement was sent to logged in users saying ''"Update to our terms and data use"'' ''"Starting November 3, 2025, we'll use some of your Linkedln data to improve the content-generating Al that enhances your experience, unless you opt out in your [https://www.linkedin.com/mypreferences/d/settings/data-for-ai-improvement/ settings]. We're also updating our terms. See what's new and how to manage your data. [https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a8059228/ Learn more] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251122030430/https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a8059228 Archived])"''. Specifically mentioned regions are Canada, the EU, EEA, UK, Switzerland and Hong Kong. Announcement described how previously excluded regions would now be included in the "Data for Generative AI Improvement".<!-- [Image] I don't know how to style the image so I tried to lower the size. Moving it to the right makes it overflow onto the Account Deletion which I don't think makes the page flow fell (in my opinion only) --> | As of 19 September 2025, LinkedIn banner announcement was sent to logged in users saying ''"Update to our terms and data use"'' ''"Starting November 3, 2025, we'll use some of your Linkedln data to improve the content-generating Al that enhances your experience, unless you opt out in your [https://www.linkedin.com/mypreferences/d/settings/data-for-ai-improvement/ settings]. We're also updating our terms. See what's new and how to manage your data. [https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a8059228/ Learn more] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251122030430/https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a8059228 Archived])"''. Specifically mentioned regions are Canada, the EU, EEA, UK, Switzerland and Hong Kong. Announcement described how previously excluded regions would now be included in the "Data for Generative AI Improvement".[[File:LinkedIn - Update to our Terms and data use 2025.png|thumb|411x411px|Screenshot of [https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a8059228/ Terms of service update] at 19th Sep 2025]]<!-- [Image] I don't know how to style the image so I tried to lower the size. Moving it to the right makes it overflow onto the Account Deletion which I don't think makes the page flow fell (in my opinion only) --> | ||
===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=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> | ||
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==Account Deletion== | ==Account Deletion== | ||
Some users have reported that the browser LinkedIn version disables the "Done" button at the end of the "Delete your account" flow. | 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. | ||
Potential solutions: | Potential solutions: | ||
#Modifying HTML, removing the "disabled" attribute from the button. | #Modifying HTML, removing the "disabled" attribute from the button. | ||
#Some users reported that typing their password by hand | #Some users reported that typing their password by hand helped make the button work. Others have appealed that it didn't work anyways.<ref name=":0" /> | ||
#Some users reported that using the phone app to close your account worked,<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 May 2024 |title=Impossible to close Linkedin account |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/linkedin/comments/1d0a4ah/impossible_to_close_linkedin_account/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260220223136/https://old.reddit.com/r/linkedin/comments/1d0a4ah/impossible_to_close_linkedin_account/ |archive-date=20 Feb 2026|website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref> | #Some users reported that using the phone app to close your account worked, even if you created yours through the browser version.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 May 2024 |title=Impossible to close Linkedin account |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/linkedin/comments/1d0a4ah/impossible_to_close_linkedin_account/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260220223136/https://old.reddit.com/r/linkedin/comments/1d0a4ah/impossible_to_close_linkedin_account/ |archive-date=20 Feb 2026 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref> | ||
==Browser | ==Browser scanning and personal data mining== | ||
Fairlinked e.V. have discovered data mining operation from within your browser when visiting LinkedIn. [https://browsergate.eu/ BrowserGate] exposes Microsoft's LinkedIn for allegedly conducting a massive, undisclosed spying operation by injecting malicious JavaScript into users' browsers to secretly scan and detect over 6,222 installed browser extensions without consent, in violation of the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA). It reveals how LinkedIn builds detailed individual and organizational profiles based on extensions indicating sensitive information such as political opinions, religious beliefs, disabilities, neurodivergence, job-seeking status, and even mapping which organizations use which competitor products, then aggregates this data while matching it to users' names, employers, and job titles. | Fairlinked e.V. have discovered data mining operation from within your browser when visiting LinkedIn. [https://browsergate.eu/ BrowserGate] exposes Microsoft's LinkedIn for allegedly conducting a massive, undisclosed spying operation by injecting malicious JavaScript into users' browsers to secretly scan and detect over 6,222 installed browser extensions without consent, in violation of the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA). It reveals how LinkedIn builds detailed individual and organizational profiles based on extensions indicating sensitive information such as political opinions, religious beliefs, disabilities, neurodivergence, job-seeking status, and even mapping which organizations use which competitor products, then aggregates this data while matching it to users' names, employers, and job titles.{{Citation needed|date=2 Apr 2026}} | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||