LinkedIn users have filed a class action lawsuit in a California federal court, accusing the platform of harvesting their private messages to train artificial intelligence models without consent. They allege privacy laws were broken when the company shared their data with third parties.
Alleged data harvesting for AI
LinkedIn, owned by Microsoft, is one of the world’s largest social media sites for professionals and hosts millions of users worldwide. The platform offers various premium services designed to help users network, find new employment opportunities and stand out in a crowded professional space.
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According to the lawsuit, the platform automatically shared users’ personal data with third parties without notifying them or seeking their permission. The plaintiffs claim this violates privacy rights and is a misuse of the data users entrust to the platform.
Privacy policy update sparks legal challenge
The lawsuit also alleges LinkedIn attempted to cover its tracks by updating its privacy policy in 2024. The revised policy included language that permitted the platform to harvest user data to develop products and services, including AI training.
While LinkedIn’s updated privacy policy allows users to opt out, the plaintiffs argue LinkedIn made these changes after the fact. LinkedIn’s FAQ page states users can opt out of the AI data usage. Still, the lawsuit contends that LinkedIn did not adequately communicate this information to users before the data harvesting.
LinkedIn’s premium subscription services, which offer enhanced features, have generated nearly $2 billion in revenue. The lawsuit seeks to recover a portion of that amount, with plaintiffs requesting $1,000 for each user whose privacy was allegedly violated, among other damages.
A spokesperson for LinkedIn has denied the allegations, calling the lawsuit “invalid” and without merit.
This lawsuit is not LinkedIn’s first legal challenge. Last year, the platform settled a class action lawsuit with advertisers who accused it of overcharging by falsifying video view counts.
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