LinkedIn Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Use of Private Messages for AI Training

                                      Linkedin Lawsuit Alleges Data Misuse and Cover-Up; Company Denies Claims

A lawsuit filed in a California federal court accuses LinkedIn of sharing private messages of its Premium users with third parties to train artificial intelligence (AI) models.

According to the complaint, in August 2023, the professional networking platform introduced a privacy setting that automatically opted users into a program allowing their personal data to be used for AI training purposes. The lawsuit alleges that LinkedIn, owned by Microsoft, quietly made these changes without notifying users explicitly.

A month later, the company reportedly updated its privacy policy, stating that user information could be disclosed for AI training. This action is alleged to have concealed prior activities. Furthermore, LinkedIn modified its FAQ section to inform users that they could opt out of data sharing for AI purposes. However, the lawsuit notes that any training already conducted would remain unaffected by such changes.

"LinkedIn's actions… indicate a pattern of attempting to cover its tracks," the filing states. It further claims that the company knowingly violated contractual obligations and privacy standards while trying to avoid public scrutiny.

The lawsuit seeks $1,000 per affected user for violations of the U.S. federal Stored Communications Act, along with additional damages for breach of contract and violations of California’s unfair competition law.

A LinkedIn spokesperson dismissed the allegations, describing them as “false claims with no merit.”

An email sent by LinkedIn to users last year clarified that data sharing for AI purposes was not enabled in the UK, European Economic Area, or Switzerland.

LinkedIn, which boasts over one billion users globally, derives substantial revenue from its Premium subscriptions, generating $1.7 billion in 2023 alone. The platform has seen rapid growth in Premium subscribers as it continues to integrate new AI features.

This case sheds light on growing concerns about how companies handle user data in the era of AI development.