LinkedIn users in the U.S. — but not the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, likely due to those regions’ data privacy rules — have an opt-out toggle in their settings screen disclosing that LinkedIn scrapes personal data to train “content creation AI models.” The toggle isn’t new. But, as first reported by 404 Media, LinkedIn initially didn’t refresh its privacy policy to reflect the data use.

The terms of service have now been updated, but ordinarily that occurs well before a big change like using user data for a new purpose like this. The idea is it gives users an option to make account changes or leave the platform if they don’t like the changes. Not this time, it seems.

To opt out of LinkedIn’s data scraping, head to the “Data Privacy” section of the LinkedIn settings menu on desktop, click “Data for Generative AI improvement,” then toggle off the “Use my data for training content creation AI models” option. You can also attempt to opt out more comprehensively via this form, but LinkedIn notes that any opt-out won’t affect training that’s already taken place.

The nonprofit Open Rights Group (ORG) has called on the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the U.K.’s independent regulator for data protection rights, to investigate LinkedIn and other social networks that train on user data by default.

“LinkedIn is the latest social media company found to be processing our data without asking for consent,” Mariano delli Santi, ORG’s legal and policy officer, said in a statement. “The opt-out model proves once again to be wholly inadequate to protect our rights: the public cannot be expected to monitor and chase every single online company that decides to use our data to train AI. Opt-in consent isn’t only legally mandated, but a common-sense requirement.”

  • @Allonzee
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    124 minutes ago

    Much like Facebook, if you participate in LinkedIn, I question your judgement.

  • @[email protected]
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    6 hours ago

    The terms of service have now been updated, but ordinarily that occurs well before a big change like using user data for a new purpose like this. The idea is it gives users an option to make account changes or leave the platform if they don’t like the changes. Not this time, it seems.

    They should be required to delete their training data and start over after people have had a chance to opt in.

    This isn’t just in the US; I’ve got the setting in Canada and I’d assume it’s in just about any country where LinkedIn is available that isn’t on the very short list of exceptions.

    • SeaJ
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      155 hours ago

      But if they didn’t get free resources, they wouldn’t be profitable!

      Sadly that is the excuse many AI companies use.

    • @[email protected]
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      55 hours ago

      I’m in the EU and that section in the settings isn’t even there. I guess they aren’t doing it here, for now at least. Probably due to GDPR.

  • @[email protected]
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    125 hours ago

    What’s the best way to salt your LinkedIn profile to provide bad data for GenAI improvements?

    • Dizzy Devil Ducky
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      44 minutes ago

      Just copy every post you find on something like LinkedIn Lunatics. Spread them out over the course of a certain interval of time since you’d hope they have spam filters, making sure to repeat the same things and continue adding stuff to the list. Do this for as many accounts as you are able to make.

      Enough people do it and hopefully their AI would be constantly saying batshit things, hopefully, assuming the accounts don’t get blocked.

    • @aleq
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      31 hour ago

      Just write some content without no soul and not a shred of humanity present. I.e. use the platform as intended.

  • @perviouslyiner
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    105 hours ago

    When your first notification about the change is a Mastodon post telling you to look for a pre-checked checkbox that wasn’t there before…

  • @bazingabot
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    44 hours ago

    that does it, time to delete the account

    • @Jestzer
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      154 minutes ago

      I don’t think that necessarily means your data will be deleted and not used to train their LLMs, though.

  • Kalkaline
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    96 hours ago

    Can’t wait for this comment to be scrapped by AI umbrella quiet cannon delve.

  • @General_Effort
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    25 hours ago

    How am I supposed to take seriously an article that misuses a basic term like “scraping”?

    • @hightrix
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      242 minutes ago

      Exactly my thought. LinkedIn didn’t scrape their own data.

  • @plasticmonkey
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    25 hours ago

    %##% you *>#%* %##% piece of =^%# *>#%* ass *>#%* piece of =^%# %##% linkedin piece of =**^%#