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LinkedIn is scanning browser extensions

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Re: LinkedIn is scanning browser extensions

#111

Post by tadfisher »

Aurornis wrote: post #85

This is re-posted article from the author's Substack that does a pretty bad job of explaining the situation. The second link in the article is supposed to take you to a "GitHub repository tracking the extension list" but it goes to a GitHub page for a plugin that hasn't been updated in 9 years. It has a lot of hallmarks of LLM writings ("It's not this, it's that" and feeling like a lot of empty words rehydrated from…

> But click the links. They've all been pulled from the store.

I did that with the first five extensions in the list; only one was removed from the store. So you should qualify this statement.

Maybe they are all scammy extensions, and maybe this is a weird LLM-driven astroturfing campaign, but let's try to at least root our arguments in a shared reality.

Re: LinkedIn is scanning browser extensions

#113

Post by traderj0e »

HoldOnAMinute wrote: post #109
traderj0e wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. But now we need a replacement for what the old GitHub used to do.

You need a new type of corporation. Only a Public Benefit Corporation will get the software to a usable state and refuse enshittification

Well the challenge is also gatekeeping. Gotta keep non-technical people or intentions off of it for #3

Re: LinkedIn is scanning browser extensions

#115

Post by pyrophane »

ro_bit wrote: post #20

Why is my Chrome telling random websites which extensions I have installed?

Here's the relevant bit from the original source:

"Chrome extensions can expose internal files to web pages through the web_accessible_resources field in their manifest.json. When an extension is installed and has exposed a resource, a fetch() request to chrome-extension://{id}/{file} will succeed. When the extension is not installed, Chrome blocks the request and the promise rejects.

LinkedIn tests every extension in the list this way."

Re: LinkedIn is scanning browser extensions

#116

Post by flomo »

stingraycharles wrote: post #83
FridgeSeal wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So the follow up question, is why is a random website, allowed to try and load arbitrary files?

This is how I interpreted the original question and indeed it makes no sense, JavaScript from a website should not be allowed to interact with extensions like this.

It's actually the extension injecting itself into the webpage, often to interact with it. (I imagine much of this is just looking for global ExtensionName objects.)

Re: LinkedIn is scanning browser extensions

#117

Post by pyrophane »

Here's the most relevant section I could find from the original source:

"Chrome extensions can expose internal files to web pages through the web_accessible_resources field in their manifest.json. When an extension is installed and has exposed a resource, a fetch() request to chrome-extension://{id}/{file} will succeed. When the extension is not installed, Chrome blocks the request and the promise rejects.

LinkedIn tests every extension in the list this way."

Re: LinkedIn is scanning browser extensions

#118

Post by Severian »

pino83 wrote: post #112

[flagged]

What's the reason you asked this question? I mean, yeah, you could have stayed silent, and nowadays everyone assumes that pointing out obvious things in a condescending tone is kind of insightful, just because you used enough ellipses.

Back then we all knew: vague rhetorical questions aren't arguments.

Technically, it's not a big surprise at all that someone would restate "you are the product" like it's a revelation. There is nothing novel at all.

And non-technically, yeah, as you said... You tried to weather a paragraph of empty meaning. You know that this comment says absolutely nothing actionable. You've known since word one. Nobody can actually be stupid enough to not instantly see that. It's impossible to not understand it.

Your strategy so far was to just scold. Who of you has expected a productive outcome, given this "mediocre" contribution, to say it veeeeeery friendly?

Re: LinkedIn is scanning browser extensions

#120

Post by sp1982 »

GodelNumbering wrote: post #26

I saw the following from linkedIn this morning > Update to our terms and data use As of November 3, 2025, we are using some of your Linkedin data to improve the content-generating Al that enhances your experience, unless you opt out in your settings. We also updated our terms. See what's new and how to manage your data. Frankly, it is unacceptable to tell a user "oh we have been using your personal data for 5 months…

I am building corvi.careers, its a job search engine not social network tho
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