Ah, LinkedIn—the haven for unsolicited sales pitches and exaggerated job titles. Who would have thought our beloved professional network would pivot from helping us endorse colleagues for “Microsoft Excel” to allegedly turning private messages into AI training fodder? A lawsuit claims LinkedIn is sharing its users’ heartfelt “Congrats on your promotion!” messages with AI models, sparking questions about whether “private” means anything anymore. Next time you send that polite rejection to a recruiter, remember, it might just help teach AI how to handle rejection better than you.
AI’s New Etiquette Class
According to these reports, LinkedIn may have found the perfect training ground for artificial intelligence: awkward DMs and overly formal networking attempts. Imagine an AI learning the art of saying, “I hope this message finds you well” while simultaneously ghosting follow-ups. Lawyers are now asking whether users signed up to be part of this grand educational experiment or if this is just LinkedIn’s way of ensuring its AI knows the difference between “synergy” and “buzzword bingo.”
Legal Drama: Networking at the Courthouse
The lawsuit, filed in California, accuses LinkedIn of not just bending its privacy policy but perhaps flipping it upside down. Microsoft, LinkedIn’s parent company, insists it values user trust, which is corporate speak for, “Trust us; we know what we’re doing.” Meanwhile, the legal team representing the plaintiffs likely added “Data Ethics Expert” to their LinkedIn profiles overnight. If this goes to trial, it might be the first case where the prosecution’s key evidence is a forwarded message that begins with, “As per my last email.”
Private Conversations, Public Training?
The idea of LinkedIn sharing private messages for AI training without explicit consent has many users feeling betrayed. Sure, your messages about how much you “admire a company’s mission” might not seem like sensitive material, but it’s the principle that counts. And let’s not even start on the poor AI models being force-fed motivational one-liners like “Failure is just the first step to success.” They’re probably begging for more complex datasets.
The Future of “Privacy”
As the dust settles, one thing is clear: our understanding of privacy is evolving, or, perhaps, eroding. The case raises questions about whether online platforms can resist the temptation to exploit data when faced with “urgent” demands of AI development. Until then, LinkedIn might want to consider a new slogan: “Connecting professionals, and connecting their messages to AI research since 2025.” If nothing else, the lawsuit proves one thing—your next DM could be history in the making…or AI training.
Sources:
- https://www.thecable.ng/linkedin-accused-of-using-private-messages-to-train-ai/
- https://www.itpro.com/security/privacy/linkedin-faces-lawsuit-amid-claims-it-shared-users-private-messages-to-train-ai-models
- https://www.reuters.com/legal/microsofts-linkedin-sued-disclosing-customer-information-train-ai-models-2025-01-22/
- https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/linkedin-facing-lawsuit-over-accusations-private-messages-used-to-train-ai
- https://www.independent.co.uk/business/linkedin-accused-of-sharing-users-private-messages-with-other-firms-to-train-ai-b2684903.html
- https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxevpzy3yko
Gramatically checked with Quillbot AI.
Written with the help of Claude AI