LinkedIn Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over Data Sharing with AI Firms
LinkedIn, the leading professional networking site owned by Microsoft, is currently embroiled in a class-action lawsuit filed by a group of its Premium members. These users allege that the platform improperly shared their private messages and personal data with third-party entities for the purpose of training artificial intelligence (AI) models, doing so without securing the necessary permissions from users.
Background on Privacy Policy Changes
The controversy traces back to modifications in LinkedIn’s privacy policies introduced in 2024. In August, the company rolled out a feature that ostensibly granted users increased control over their data sharing preferences. However, just a month later, in September, LinkedIn revised its policy to state that user data could be utilized for AI training purposes, even if users opted out of future data sharing. Additionally, the policy specified that any data already employed in AI training would be irreversible, leading to significant backlash among users who felt misled regarding the usage of their information.
Allegations and Desired Compensation
The plaintiffs assert that LinkedIn has breached the trust of its Premium subscribers by sharing their private data without explicit consent. The lawsuit seeks compensation of $1,000 per affected individual and insists on accountability for what the plaintiffs describe as unethical practices.
LinkedIn’s Response
Responding to the allegations, LinkedIn issued a statement to Reuters asserting, “These are false claims with no merit,”indicating their intention to contest the lawsuit vigorously.
Wider Implications of Data Usage in AI
The practice of scrapping online data to refine generative AI models has drawn scrutiny in various cases, highlighting a growing trend of legal challenges in the tech industry. For instance, recent court documents disclosed that Mark Zuckerberg had sanctioned the use of LibGen, a repository of pirated ebooks and articles, for training its Llama AI models. Additionally, last year saw several prominent newspaper organizations filing lawsuits against Microsoft and OpenAI for allegedly utilizing their content for AI training without appropriate authorization.
Conclusion
This ongoing situation raises crucial questions about user privacy, consent, and the ethical implications of data utilization in AI development. As this lawsuit unfolds, the outcome could set significant precedents for how tech companies handle user data in the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence.
Source: Reuters
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