LinkedIn has now updated its privacy policy which will allow the platform to scrape your data for its AI model. While the policy update came on 18th September 2024, it is not clear when LinkedIn started scraping the data for training its AI. But one thing is clear if your country belongs to the European Union or the European Economic Area where the data protection laws apply, your data by default won’t be scraped by the platform unless you explicitly allow them.
Has LinkedIn scraped your data already before?
According to a news published in 404 Media, LinkedIn started using the data of its users to train its Gen AI models before the announcement of the same. 404 Media cites that LinkedIn replied to its query and replied that it will update its terms “shortly”
If it is true that Linkedin started utilizing user’s data, then it has been doing it since when? Also, why did the announcement come late?
There is also an option for writing a post with an AI-powered tool, although for only the premium members. Was the user’s scraped data contributed in any way to enabling this feature? This is something that only LinkedIn can answer.
No Explicit Notification to Users about its AI training from User Data
By default, LinkedIn now requires action from the user end (who are outside the Designated countries) to prevent their data for AI training. It is a well-known fact that most users don’t become aware of changes in privacy policy unless it is explicitly announced to them. There does not appear any explicit notification on my LinkedIn profile or any message in my Inbox about the change in privacy policy. Neither have I received any update to my registered email address from LinkedIn about the same.
By the time a user decides to turn off the permission upon coming to know about this updated policy, the platform may have already scraped relevant information for their Gen AI services development.
Another thing that demands attention is that the platform holds the power to utilize personal data depending on the “Which services you use”, “How you use those services” and “the choices you make in your settings”. Does this mean that my data can still be used if I make changes in the settings like disabling permission for “Data for Generative AI Improvement”?
Need of More Data For?
It is a well-known fact that the Microsoft-owned platform has a heavy investment in OpenAI, which has recently announced its o1 model. Quality Datasets of human origin excluded from the synthesized data from the existing LLMs are necessary to notch the LLM for better output with lesser hallucinations.
How to Turn off Linkedin Permission for Data Scraping for Gen AI
The platform has categorically stated that posts and information of the users will not be used if they have turned off the permission. Luckily, navigating to the opt-out option from “Data for Generative AI improvement” is quite easy.
To turn off the permission, you need to go to your settings, and then to the Data Privacy Tab.
Upon clicking the Data Privacy, you will see the option of “Data for Generative AI improvement”. Simply click on it and you will see the option of turning it off.
