A new lawsuit accuses LinkedIn of sharing user direct messages (DMs) with third parties to train AI systems without explicit consent. The lawsuit alleges that LinkedIn implemented a new privacy setting in August that automatically enrolled users in a program allowing third-party data use for AI training, later attempting to cover its tracks by updating its privacy policy and FAQ section.
In today's AI-driven world, data has become an incredibly valuable asset for developers and companies alike. The usage patterns and interactions of thousands – or even millions – of users often contribute to training AI models. Now, LinkedIn, the world's largest professional networking platform, finds itself in hot water. A new lawsuit accuses the company of allegedly sharing user DMs to train AI systems.
LinkedIn Premium users are accusing the platform of sharing their private messages with third parties to train AI models – and they never gave their consent for that. The lawsuit claims that back in August, LinkedIn 'quietly' rolled out a new privacy setting that automatically signed users up for a program allowing third parties to use their personal data for AI training. It also accuses the Microsoft-owned company of covering its tracks a month later by updating its privacy policy to state that user data could be shared for AI training purposes. To top it off, the filing says LinkedIn edited its FAQ section, mentioning that users could opt out of sharing data for AI training. However, it also made it clear that opting out wouldn't undo any training that had already been done using their data. The complaint further argues that LinkedIn's move to 'cover its tracks' shows it knew it was breaking its promise to only use personal data to improve its platform, all while trying to dodge public backlash and legal trouble. Of course, LinkedIn denies these allegations. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Jose, California, represents LinkedIn Premium users who exchanged InMail messages and had their private data shared with third parties for AI training before September 18. It demands damages for breach of contract and violations of California's unfair competition law, along with $1,000 per user under the federal Stored Communications Act. This isn't the first time a company's been accused of crossing the line when it comes to user privacy for AI training. Just last year, Elon Musk's X was called out for allegedly using user data to train its AI models without explicit consent
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