LinkedIn updates privacy policy to enable AI training on user data

LinkedIn has updated its privacy policy, allowing the platform to use users’ personal data to train artificial intelligence (AI) models. According to a recent report by 404 Media, the Microsoft-owned platform made the changes on September 18, 2024. LinkedIn clarified in a blog post that personal data will be used to develop AI-powered services, enhance content recommendations, and moderate posts. This update comes amid growing concerns over the use of personal information for AI training.

Notably, LinkedIn users are automatically opted into this data usage by default, meaning their posts and personal data may be harvested for AI model training unless they take steps to opt-out. The platform is training its own generative AI models, which provide writing suggestions and content recommendations, on the collected data. The policy also indicates that LinkedIn’s parent company, Microsoft, could leverage this data for its AI development.

However, LinkedIn is exempting users in the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), and Switzerland from this policy due to stringent data protection laws in those regions.

The move by LinkedIn is part of a broader trend where major social media companies, including Meta and Snap, have faced criticism for using user data to train AI models. Meta, for instance, admitted to scraping public posts made by users aged over 18 for AI training without explicit consent. Similarly, platforms like Reddit and Stack Overflow have entered into data licensing agreements to use user-generated content for AI development.

Users concerned about their privacy can opt out of LinkedIn’s AI data training through the platform’s privacy settings, ensuring their personal data is not used for AI purposes.