LinkedIn Faces Lawsuits Over Browser Extension Scanning Practices
LinkedIn scanning users' browser extensions sparks controversy and two lawsuits
Ars Technica
Image: Ars Technica
LinkedIn is embroiled in two lawsuits filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, challenging its practice of scanning users' browsers to identify extensions. The complaints, based on the 'BrowserGate' report, argue that LinkedIn's disclosures regarding this scanning are insufficient.
- 01LinkedIn is facing two class action lawsuits regarding its browser scanning practices.
- 02The lawsuits were filed in the Northern District of California.
- 03The complaints reference the 'BrowserGate' report by Fairlinked, a German advocacy group.
- 04LinkedIn admits to scanning for extensions that may scrape user data without consent.
- 05The privacy policy's disclosures about browser scanning are under scrutiny.
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LinkedIn, a subsidiary of Microsoft, is currently facing two class action lawsuits in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. These lawsuits challenge the company's practice of scanning users' browsers to identify installed extensions. Both lawsuits, filed by different law firms on behalf of individual plaintiffs, claim that LinkedIn's disclosures about its scanning practices are inadequate. The complaints reference a report by Fairlinked, a German trade association that focuses on commercial LinkedIn users, which has raised concerns about user privacy. LinkedIn acknowledges that it scans browsers, particularly Google Chrome and Chromium-based browsers, to detect extensions that may scrape user data without consent. However, the lawsuits argue that LinkedIn's privacy policy does not sufficiently inform users about how their data is collected and used. This controversy highlights ongoing debates about user privacy and data protection in the digital age.
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These lawsuits could affect how LinkedIn and similar companies handle user data and privacy disclosures, potentially leading to changes in their practices.
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