LinkedIn facing lawsuit over accusations private messages used to train AI

News
By published

LinkedIn accused of secretly changing user data settings

In this photo illustration, the business and employment-oriented network and platform owned by Microsoft, LinkedIn, logo seen displayed on a smartphone with an Artificial intelligence (AI) chip and symbol in the background.
(Image credit: Photo Illustration by Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
  • LinkedIn is being accused of sharing user data for AI training
  • The lawsuit is seeking $1,000 per user, among other fees
  • LinkedIn made changes to FAQ's and privacy policy to "cover its tracks," lawsuit alleges

LinkedIn has been accused of sharing private messages and user data with third parties for AI training in a US lawsuit.

The Microsoft-owned job site has increasingly looked to position itself as a standard social media platform and has introduced a number of AI tools and features for LinkedIn Premium users.

The lawsuit claims LinkedIn “quietly” introduced a new privacy setting in August 2024 which opted users into sharing their data with third parties for AI training purposes.

"Covering its tracks"

The lawsuit goes on to state after this change to privacy settings, the company then updated its privacy policy to state that user information could be used for AI training, and the FAQ section was also changed to state users could choose to not have their data shared with third parties for AI training, but opting out would not affect data that had already been used for AI training.

“This behaviour suggests that LinkedIn was fully aware that it had violated its contractual promises and privacy standards and aimed to minimise public scrutiny,” the lawsuit alleges, which is seeking $1,000 per user for violations against the US federal Stored Communications Act, and an unspecified amount for California's unfair competition law and breach of contract.

A spokesperson for LinkedIn addressed the allegations, stating, “these are false claims with no merit” (Via BBC).The changes to the LinkedIn privacy policy were not enacted for users in the UK, European Economic Area, and Switzerland, an email sent to users last year says.

In 2024, LinkedIn settled a class action lawsuit against the platform for $6.625 million after being accused of overcharging advertisers by artificially inflating the number of views video adverts received between January 2015 and May 2023.

You might also like

Benedict Collins
Benedict Collins
Senior Writer, Security

Benedict has been with TechRadar Pro for over two years, and has specialized in writing about cybersecurity, threat intelligence, and B2B security solutions. His coverage explores the critical areas of national security, including state-sponsored threat actors, APT groups, critical infrastructure, and social engineering.

Benedict holds an MA (Distinction) in Security, Intelligence, and Diplomacy from the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies at the University of Buckingham, providing him with a strong academic foundation for his reporting on geopolitics, threat intelligence, and cyber-warfare.

Prior to his postgraduate studies, Benedict earned a BA in Politics with Journalism, providing him with the skills to translate complex political and security issues into comprehensible copy.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.