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LinkedIn violated data protection by using 18M email addresses of non-members

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Re: LinkedIn violated data protection by using 18M email addresses of non-members

#101

Post by sethammons »

DeusExMachina wrote: post #94

> What we also don’t really know here — the DPC doesn’t really address it — is where LinkedIn obtained those 18 million email addresses, and any other related data, in the first place. Well, one such source of email addresses was me. When I joined it more than 10 years ago, I was not as privacy aware as I am today. So, upon joining, I uploaded my address book to connect to people who already had a LinkedIn account. I…

Right there with you. I had assumed it would just look for folks on the network and give me the option at that point on who to add. Nope. I had folks replying back to me declining invite. I had people in my address book I never wanted to contact again. I finally got LinkedIn to stop retrying people from my list, but I failed to get them to forget my list apparently because, like you, some of these people/addresses are on my recommendation list.

Re: LinkedIn violated data protection by using 18M email addresses of non-members

#103

Post by jobigoud »

ndnxhs wrote: post #54
fizx wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IP addresses are more promiscuous than email addresses--i.e. your family and neighbors are relatively likely to share an address and/or subnet. That means that your family can see ads targeted at your bad habits that they might not otherwise be aware of.

I regularly see YouTube recommendations for the stuff my bf is watching and we don't share a computer and he is not logged in to YouTube.

First time I hear about this. This would be very serious. Are you positive there is no other way, the Youtube recommendation algorithm is notoriously weird.

Re: LinkedIn violated data protection by using 18M email addresses of non-members

#105

Post by rapnie »

harshulpandav wrote: post #38

Unrelated but I'd like take this opportunity to write that the "switch to our app" popup on the LinkedIn mobile site is super annoying. It shows up every time I open the site on mobile browser. On several occasions in attempts of closing the popup I've accidentally clicked on advertisements (Promoted posts) or 'liked' someone's post. And then you see more such promoted posts as they think you like them. If anyone fro…

Strange. I never get this notification. Using Android + Firefox. But there a lot of subtle things missing or broken in the UI, to make the experience annoying.

Re: LinkedIn violated data protection by using 18M email addresses of non-members

#106

Post by rapnie »

saagarjha wrote: post #79
ndnxhs wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its a typical user engagement trick. If you install the app then you have a constant advert on your home screen and they have the ability to constantly spam you with reengagement notifications

And they get far more access to your information than they would in a browser.

Plus no opportunity to block ads + trackers, etc. in the embedded chromium-based browser.

Re: LinkedIn violated data protection by using 18M email addresses of non-members

#107

Post by cyphar »

adwhit wrote: post #96
logicallee wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It wasn't stupid of you, not your fault LinkedIn literally impersonated you. The mail it sent out all those years ago was written in your name and as though you had actively crafted and sent it. Anyone who knows your name could have impersonated you. Don't worry about doing something wrong. A quick google suggests linkedin was sued and reached a class action settlement in exchange for the practice.

You can be almost certain that LinkedIn knew it was illegal when they did it, and accurately calculated that the fine they would receive (if any) would be much lower than the value derived from increased membership. In fact they would be stupid not to in winner-takes-all markets like social media. Silicon Valley has a phrase for such flagrantly unethical practice, it is called "growth hacking".

To gratuitously quote Fight Club:

"It was my job to apply The Formula™. [...] Take the number of vehicles in the field, A. Multiply it by the probable rate of failure, B. Then multiply it by the average out-of-court settlement, C. A times B times C equals X. If X is less than the cost of a recall, we don't do one."

Re: LinkedIn violated data protection by using 18M email addresses of non-members

#108

Post by GordonS »

masonic wrote: post #24
forkLding wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reminds me of that mobile popup I always get that tells me to download their mobile app when I'm viewing Linkedin on a mobile phone and I can't move on unless I press something.

Reddit is almost unusable on mobile browsers because of this.

Recently they seem to have started alternating between 2 versions of it - one where you have to tap No and another where you have to tap Yes, so it catches you out if you're used to always using the web site. I really despise this.

Re: LinkedIn violated data protection by using 18M email addresses of non-members

#109

Post by dorgo »

I_am_tiberius wrote: post #84
whiddershins wrote: post #19

I am 99% sure LinkedIN used my IP address to match with my second floor neighbor, despite their claims that they would never use IP address as a connection data point. I was sharing my wifi for a brief period with my neighbors on the second floor. My neighbor had a new room mate. The guy was from another country. He didn't work in the same industry I do. I didn't have any of his contact information anywhere on any of…

That's creepy. Different topic: I think the biggest connection business is whatsapp. If a person does not use whatsapp but a friend of that person does, whatsapp knows the person's phone number anyway. If >= 2 whatsapp users have that person's phone number stored with the same name in the contact list, whatsapp even knows the person's name (and other information). With that information they can accurately identify th…

I think it was clever to remove Whastapp from my phone the day facebook acquired them. Sure, they can still connect my number to one of my fake profiles I used to have some years ago.

Re: LinkedIn violated data protection by using 18M email addresses of non-members

#110

Post by kodablah »

Renaud wrote: post #6

LinkedIn is one of the worse dark-pattern based business out there. Their whole business model is based on making connections between people, however unwanted they are. They use any means necessary to get your contact list and abuse it to spam your contacts with dubious marketing ploys and unverifiable claims (someone looked you up! you're missing on new jobs opportunities!). Liars. I've resisted creating an account…

> the pressure to conform is there as you basically "don't exist" without a profile that lazy HR managers can look up

I find this is an effective filter for those trying to avoid working for a red-tape-filled, default big corp. The more bureaucracy visible before getting there, the better. For those that explain it away as a bad HR does not make the company bad, if you're good enough to be picky there are good companies that also have good HR.

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