The lawsuit against LinkedIn highlights concerns over data privacy, as users allege the social media giant has been misusing their private messages to further its AI initiatives without consent.
LinkedIn Faces Lawsuit Over Allegations of Misusing Private Messages for AI Training
LinkedIn Faces Lawsuit Over Allegations of Misusing Private Messages for AI Training
Claims suggest data-sharing practices violate user privacy while the platform denies wrongdoing.
LinkedIn is embroiled in a legal battle, following accusations that it shared private messages from its Premium users to train artificial intelligence models. A lawsuit filed in a California federal court claims that the professional networking platform introduced a privacy setting in August of last year that surreptitiously included users in a data-sharing program. This program purportedly allowed third-party companies to access personal data for the purpose of training AI systems.
The lawsuit contends that LinkedIn engaged in a cover-up, modifying its privacy policy just a month later to disclose that user information could potentially be used for AI training. The platform's representative countered these allegations by declaring them as unfounded and lacking merit.
In its defense, LinkedIn acknowledged that users could opt out of data sharing for AI purposes, but noted that such an action would not retroactively alter any training already conducted with previously shared data. The legal action claims that LinkedIn's efforts illustrate a broader pattern of attempting to obscure its practices surrounding user data.
Filed on behalf of an unnamed LinkedIn Premium user, the lawsuit seeks $1,000 in damages per affected user for alleged breaches of the US federal Stored Communications Act, alongside claims for breach of contract and violations of California's unfair competition law.
LinkedIn has justified its data-sharing conversations by emphasizing that it does not facilitate such practices in the UK, the European Economic Area, nor Switzerland. Presently, LinkedIn boasts over one billion users, with nearly 250 million located in the United States alone. The company reported earning approximately $1.7 billion from premium subscriptions this year, attributing rapid growth in subscriptions to the addition of AI functionalities.
The lawsuit contends that LinkedIn engaged in a cover-up, modifying its privacy policy just a month later to disclose that user information could potentially be used for AI training. The platform's representative countered these allegations by declaring them as unfounded and lacking merit.
In its defense, LinkedIn acknowledged that users could opt out of data sharing for AI purposes, but noted that such an action would not retroactively alter any training already conducted with previously shared data. The legal action claims that LinkedIn's efforts illustrate a broader pattern of attempting to obscure its practices surrounding user data.
Filed on behalf of an unnamed LinkedIn Premium user, the lawsuit seeks $1,000 in damages per affected user for alleged breaches of the US federal Stored Communications Act, alongside claims for breach of contract and violations of California's unfair competition law.
LinkedIn has justified its data-sharing conversations by emphasizing that it does not facilitate such practices in the UK, the European Economic Area, nor Switzerland. Presently, LinkedIn boasts over one billion users, with nearly 250 million located in the United States alone. The company reported earning approximately $1.7 billion from premium subscriptions this year, attributing rapid growth in subscriptions to the addition of AI functionalities.
