Millions sue LinkedIn over alleged AI training on private messages

Millions of LinkedIn Premium users in the US have filed a lawsuit against the platform, alleging that it shared their private messages with third parties without their consent to train generative artificial intelligence (AI). The lawsuit, reported by Reuters, accuses LinkedIn, owned by Microsoft, of breaching contracts and violating California’s unfair competition law. It also seeks damages under the federal Stored Communications Act, demanding USD 1,000 per affected user.

The class-action lawsuit was filed in federal court in San Jose, California, and claims LinkedIn quietly introduced a privacy setting in August 2023 that allowed users to opt in or out of data sharing. Plaintiffs argue that the platform later updated its privacy policy on September 18, 2023, stating that user data could be used for AI training. A frequently asked questions (FAQ) section further clarified that opting out would not prevent data already used from being part of AI training.

The lawsuit contends that these policy changes were an attempt by LinkedIn to “cover its tracks,” implying that the company knowingly violated user privacy and sought to limit legal repercussions. Plaintiffs argue that the retrospective policy updates reflect LinkedIn’s awareness of potential misconduct and their efforts to mitigate liability.

LinkedIn has yet to respond publicly to the allegations.