A lawsuit filed on behalf of LinkedIn Premium users accuses the platform of sharing private messages with third-party companies to train artificial intelligence (AI) models.
The suit claims that in August of last year, LinkedIn “quietly” introduced a privacy setting that automatically enrolled users in a program allowing their personal data to be used for AI training.
It further alleges that the Microsoft-owned platform updated its privacy policy the following month to state that user data could be shared for AI training purposes, effectively concealing its earlier actions.
A LinkedIn spokesperson told BBC News that “these claims are false and without merit.”
The lawsuit also highlights that LinkedIn modified its FAQ section, informing users they could opt out of sharing data for AI purposes. However, it clarified that opting out would not impact any training that had already occurred.
“LinkedIn’s actions… indicate a pattern of attempting to cover its tracks,” the lawsuit said.
“This behaviour suggests that LinkedIn was fully aware that it had violated its contractual promises and privacy standards and aimed to minimise public scrutiny”.
The lawsuit was filed in a California federal court on behalf of a LinkedIn Premium user and “all others” in a similar situation.
The lawsuit seeks $1,000 (£812) per user for alleged violations of the US federal Stored Communications Act, in addition to an unspecified amount for breach of contract and California’s unfair competition law.
An email LinkedIn sent to users last year stated that data sharing for AI purposes had not been enabled in the UK, the European Economic Area, or Switzerland.
With over one billion users globally, nearly a quarter based in the US, LinkedIn remains a dominant professional networking platform.
In 2023, it generated $1.7 billion in revenue from premium subscriptions, which continue to grow rapidly as the company integrates more AI-powered features.