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LINKEDIN IS QUIETLY TRAINING AI ON YOUR DATA—HERE'S HOW TO STOP IT
Microsoft-owned LinkedIn recently began training AI models on your data without
your express consent. Days later, LinkedIn stops scraping UK users after
regulators sound the alarm.
By Kate Irwin
Updated September 20, 2024
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UPDATE 9/20: LinkedIn has now stopped scraping UK user data, but is still
scraping US user data by default. The UK's International Commissioner's Office
revealed that LinkedIn pulled the plug on sourcing AI training data from the
country's LinkedIn users after the regulator raised legal concerns.
"We are pleased that LinkedIn has reflected on the concerns we raised about its
approach to training generative AI models with information relating to its UK
users. We welcome LinkedIn’s confirmation that it has suspended such model
training pending further engagement with the ICO," said Stephen Almond, ICO
executive director of regulatory risk.
"In order to get the most out of generative AI and the opportunities it brings,
it is crucial that the public can trust that their privacy rights will be
respected from the outset," Almond continued. "We will continue to monitor major
developers of generative AI, including Microsoft and LinkedIn, to review the
safeguards they have put in place and ensure the information rights of UK users
are protected."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original Story 9/18:
About a week ago, LinkedIn quietly published a post that reveals it's now using
your data to train its AI models. But many LinkedIn users may not be aware that
their data is being swiped for AI training in the first place.
LinkedIn and "its affiliates" are using your profile page's data, posts, and
other LinkedIn content to train AI models, including the ones LinkedIn uses to
power its various AI features. LinkedIn does not specify in its post who exactly
its "affiliates" are, but LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft, which has close
financial ties to OpenAI.
Reached for comment, a LinkedIn spokesperson tells PCMag via email that
"affiliates" refer to any Microsoft-owned company (Microsoft has acquired more
than 270 companies since 1986, including five AI companies). The spokesperson
adds, however, that LinkedIn is not sending collected user data to OpenAI.
LinkedIn does use OpenAI models for its platform, however, via Microsoft's Azure
AI service.
At time of writing, LinkedIn's Pages Terms, User Agreement, Privacy Policy, and
Copyright Policy do not contain the words "AI" or "artificial intelligence" in
any capacity. But LinkedIn's terms state: "You and LinkedIn agree that we may
access, store, process and use any information and personal data that you
provide."
LinkedIn's own policies prohibit any user-instigated "software, devices,
scripts, robots" or crawlers from trawling its site. It bars its own users from
selling or otherwise monetizing any data published on the work-focused social
media platform.
But LinkedIn announced Wednesday that it's rolling out changes to these
policies, specifically, its User Agreement and Privacy Policy, to include a
disclosure on its use of your data for AI. LinkedIn SVP and General Counsel
Blake Lawit writes: "We have added language to clarify how we use the
information you share with us to develop the products and services of LinkedIn
and its affiliates, including by training AI models used for content
generation."
Notably, EU users (or those with VPNs that make it look like they're based in
the EU) get more protections from AI training on LinkedIn than those elsewhere.
Lawit says EU users, unlike the rest of LinkedIn, are automatically opted out.
So LinkedIn won't be scraping and training AI on EU or Switzerland-based user
data "until further notice."
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UK- and US-based LinkedIn users noticed the site's AI training toggle popped up
this week, with some arguing that Microsoft should pay LinkedIn users for
scraping their data.
"Turn this off!" exclaimed VectorField founder and CEO Ido Banai in a post
warning LinkedIn users about the toggle. "In the age of AI every time you add
data into a platform and it's used for [machine learning] training you should
get paid, it's a no-brainer!"
If you don't want Microsoft, LinkedIn, or other Microsoft-owned companies using
your LinkedIn data and posts going forward, you can disable the setting by
navigating to Settings > Data Privacy > Data for Generative AI Improvement.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include comment from LinkedIn.
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ABOUT KATE IRWIN
REPORTER
I’m a reporter covering early morning news. Prior to joining PCMag in 2024, I
was a reporter and producer at Decrypt and launched its gaming vertical, GG. I
have previous bylines with Input, Game Rant, and Dot Esports. I’ve been a PC
gamer since The Sims (yes, the original). In 2020, I finally built my first PC
with a 3090 graphics card, but also regularly use Mac and iOS devices as well.
As a reporter, I’m passionate about uncovering scoops and documenting the wide
world of tech and how it affects our daily lives.
Read Kate's full bio
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