LinkedIn accused of using private messages to train AI

A US lawsuit filed on behalf of LinkedIn Premium users alleges that the social media platform shares their private messages with other companies to train artificial intelligence (AI) models.

In August last year, the world’s largest professional social network “quietly” introduced a privacy setting, saying it had entered a program that would automatically opt out users and allow third parties to use their personal data to train AI.

It also alleges that the Microsoft-owned company covered up the practice a month later by changing its privacy policy to say user data could be disclosed for AI training purposes.

A LinkedIn spokesperson told the BBC: “These are false claims with no merit.”

The filing also changed the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section to say that LinkedIn users can choose not to share data for AI purposes, but said that doing so would have no effect on previous training.

“LinkedIn’s actions … indicate an attempt to cover its tracks,” the lawsuit said.

“This behavior suggests that LinkedIn is fully aware that it has violated its terms of contract and privacy policy and is intended to minimize public exposure.”

The lawsuit was filed in California federal court on behalf of a LinkedIn Premium user and “others” similarly situated.

It is seeking $1,000 (£812) per user for breach of the US Federal Stored Communications Act, as well as breach of contract and breach of California’s unfair competition law.

LinkedIn no longer enables the sharing of user data in the UK, European Economic Area and Switzerland, according to an email it sent to its users last year.

LinkedIn has more than a billion users worldwide, a quarter of whom are in the US.

In the year By 2023, the company has attracted $1.7 billion in revenue from premium subscriptions.

He said the number of premium subscribers is growing rapidly as more AI features are added.

Additional reporting by Lily Jamali