LinkedIn Lawsuit: AI Privacy Scandal

LinkedIn is facing a lawsuit from Premium users who claim the platform secretly shared their private messages to train AI models without consent. The class-action suit, filed in California, alleges that a 2024 privacy update automatically enrolled users in a data-sharing program, granting LinkedIn access to personal InMail messages for AI development. Plaintiffs argue that LinkedIn failed to provide clear notice and misled users about how their data would be used.

The lawsuit further claims that LinkedIn’s Premium customers had their private conversations shared with third-party AI firms, violating promises about user privacy. Microsoft-owned LinkedIn denies the allegations, calling them baseless and asserting its commitment to strict data protection standards. If successful, the suit could result in $1,000 payouts per affected user, highlighting growing concerns over tech companies’ handling of personal data in the AI era.

With increasing regulatory scrutiny on AI and data privacy, this case could set a precedent for how platforms handle user consent in AI training. As companies race to integrate AI into their services, the debate over ethical data usage and transparency continues to intensify.
Source: Qz 2025