What Happened
LinkedIn is the latest social media platform to train AI models using user data -reportedly before updating its terms of service.
According to a report from 404Media, LinkedIn had a new privacy setting and opt-out form available before it updated its privacy policy to reflect this change. The updated policy now confirms that LinkedIn is using data from the platform to train AI models, including for features like writing suggestions and post recommendations.
Users in the U.S. have the option to opt out of this data use through their settings, but users in the EU, EEA, and Switzerland are excluded from this AI training due to stricter privacy regulations in those regions.
Additionally, LinkedIn informed the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) that it has “suspended” AI model training using data from UK users.
Why It Matters
This situation underscores the stronger protections provided by the EU’s stricter privacy regulations, emphasizing the need for other countries to adopt similar safeguards as social media platforms increasingly use personal data to train AI models.