Open Forum

You carefully curated your LinkedIn profile. Every job title, every accomplishment, every professional post was crafted to showcase your career. What you didn't bargain for was LinkedIn turning around and using it all to train artificial intelligence models. And here's the catch-they didn't ask for your permission. Instead, they've quietly opted you in and given you a deadline to opt out.

LinkedIn is sharing user data with Microsoft and its affiliates for AI training under what they call "legitimate interest." Think about what that means. Your professional history, your resume, the articles you shared, the comments you made on industry posts, even your job applications-all of it becomes data points for AI models. The extensive data includes your profile information, work experience, education, skills, publications, posts, articles, poll responses, and feedback you've provided. It's not just what's visible on your profile page. It's everything you've done on the platform.

What makes this situation a bit concerning is the default opt-in approach. Many companies that want to use your data for AI training typically request your permission first, recognizing that some individuals may prefer not to share their information. However, LinkedIn has opted for a different approach: you are automatically opted in by default, meaning your data will be used unless you opt out. 

Additionally, it's important to note that even if you choose to opt out, any data that has already been utilized for training cannot be retracted. The opt-out option only prevents future use of any new data you choose to share.

If you have concerns about your privacy, you may want to act soon, as the deadline for users in the EU, EEA, Switzerland, Canada, and Hong Kong to opt out is November 3, 2025.

Here's what you should do:

• Navigate to your privacy settings immediately. Go to Settings & Privacy > Data privacy > Data for Generative AI Improvement, and toggle off "Use my data for training content creation AI models."
• File a formal objection if you want to be thorough. Use LinkedIn's Data Processing Objection Form to formally object to your data being used for AI training purposes
• Review your old posts and profile information. Consider removing or editing sensitive content, outdated resumes, or any information you wouldn't want an AI model to see. Remember, opting out doesn't erase what's already been used
• Check your ad preferences while you're in settings. LinkedIn is also sharing data with Microsoft for personalized advertising, so be sure to review those settings as well
• Be mindful of what you post going forward. Even after opting out, everything you share on LinkedIn becomes part of their data ecosystem. Ask yourself if you're comfortable with it being used beyond its original purpose

#ALTACyber

You carefully curated your LinkedIn profile. Every job title, every accomplishment, every professional post was crafted to showcase your career. What you didn't bargain for was LinkedIn turning around and using it all to train artificial intelligence models. And here's the catch-they didn't ask for your permission. Instead, they've quietly opted you in and given you a deadline to opt out.

LinkedIn is sharing user data with Microsoft and its affiliates for AI training under what they call "legitimate interest." Think about what that means. Your professional history, your resume, the articles you shared, the comments you made on industry posts, even your job applications-all of it becomes data points for AI models. The extensive data includes your profile information, work experience, education, skills, publications, posts, articles, poll responses, and feedback you've provided. It's not just what's visible on your profile page. It's everything you've done on the platform.

What makes this situation a bit concerning is the default opt-in approach. Many companies that want to use your data for AI training typically request your permission first, recognizing that some individuals may prefer not to share their information. However, LinkedIn has opted for a different approach: you are automatically opted in by default, meaning your data will be used unless you opt out. 

Additionally, it's important to note that even if you choose to opt out, any data that has already been utilized for training cannot be retracted. The opt-out option only prevents future use of any new data you choose to share.

If you have concerns about your privacy, you may want to act soon, as the deadline for users in the EU, EEA, Switzerland, Canada, and Hong Kong to opt out is November 3, 2025.

Here's what you should do:

• Navigate to your privacy settings immediately. Go to Settings & Privacy > Data privacy > Data for Generative AI Improvement, and toggle off "Use my data for training content creation AI models."
• File a formal objection if you want to be thorough. Use LinkedIn's Data Processing Objection Form to formally object to your data being used for AI training purposes
• Review your old posts and profile information. Consider removing or editing sensitive content, outdated resumes, or any information you wouldn't want an AI model to see. Remember, opting out doesn't erase what's already been used
• Check your ad preferences while you're in settings. LinkedIn is also sharing data with Microsoft for personalized advertising, so be sure to review those settings as well
• Be mindful of what you post going forward. Even after opting out, everything you share on LinkedIn becomes part of their data ecosystem. Ask yourself if you're comfortable with it being used beyond its original purpose

#ALTACyber