LinkedIn faces accusations of using private messages to train AI

A lawsuit filed in the U.S. on behalf of LinkedIn Premium users accuses the platform of sharing their private messages with third-party companies to train artificial intelligence (AI) models. The suit claims that in August of last year, LinkedIn “quietly” introduced a privacy setting that automatically enrolled users in a program allowing their personal data to be used for AI training.

The lawsuit further alleges that a month later, LinkedIn—owned by Microsoft—attempted to cover up its actions by updating its privacy policy to disclose that user data could be shared for AI training purposes. A LinkedIn spokesperson dismissed the claims, calling them “false” and without merit. The filing also points out that LinkedIn revised its FAQ section to state that users could opt out of sharing data for AI purposes, but that this would not affect past training.

The lawsuit suggests that LinkedIn’s actions show a pattern of trying to conceal its activities, implying that the company knew it had breached privacy promises and sought to minimize public attention. The legal action, filed in a California federal court, seeks $1,000 per user for alleged violations of the U.S. federal Stored Communications Act and additional damages for breach of contract and unfair competition under California law.

In an email to users, LinkedIn clarified that it has not allowed user data sharing for AI purposes in the UK, European Economic Area, or Switzerland.

With over one billion global users, nearly a quarter of whom are in the U.S., LinkedIn generated $1.7 billion in revenue from premium subscriptions in 2023. The company has also noted rapid growth in its premium subscriber base, driven in part by the addition of new AI features.