In a significant policy shift, LinkedIn has announced that it will begin collecting data from members in the European Union, European Economic Area, Switzerland, Canada, and Hong Kong starting November 3, 2025. This change means that users in these regions must act within a week if they wish to opt out of having their posts and profile information used to train artificial intelligence.
Previously, individuals in these areas were exempt from LinkedIn”s data scraping practices. The latest update, however, indicates that this exception is being revoked. The scope of the data collection will encompass virtually all publicly available information on the platform, including profile details and public posts. It is important to note that private messages are excluded from this data collection, a precaution following a lawsuit in early 2025 concerning the misuse of such messages for AI training.
The revised data use terms also highlight that LinkedIn plans to share the harvested data with its affiliates, which include Microsoft and its subsidiaries. This means that data could be used not only for AI model training but also for targeted advertising. LinkedIn explained, “Starting November 3, 2025, we will share additional data about members… with our Affiliate Microsoft so that the Microsoft family of companies can show you more personalized and relevant ads.” This data may include user profile information, activity on feeds, and engagement with ads.
For users in the UK, EU, EEA, Switzerland, Canada, and Hong Kong, the opt-out procedures will be new. Users in other regions, including the United States, have already seen their data utilized for AI purposes, though the option to opt out from the affiliate advertising aspect is now available to all users.
To opt out, users can navigate to the Settings section under Data Privacy to toggle off the data-sharing option for AI training. Preferences related to advertising can be adjusted in the Advertising Data category, where users can manage how their data interacts with advertisements from Microsoft and other entities. To enhance privacy, users should also disable the option to share data with affiliates and partners. However, it is important to note that this action will not prevent affiliates from serving ads; it merely means the ads will not be tailored using LinkedIn data.
As the data scraping initiative approaches, users in the specified regions are urged to review their settings and make necessary adjustments to protect their personal information.
