Linkedin searches your computer for any installed browser extensions and shares it with shady cybersec companies, including your clear name etc.

6 months ago by Nooodel to c/privacy

Microsoft is running one of the largest corporate espionage operations in modern history. Every time any of LinkedIn’s one billion users visits linkedin.com, hidden code searches their computer for installed software, collects the results, and transmits them to LinkedIn’s servers and to third-party companies including an American-Israeli cybersecurity firm. The user is never asked. Never told. LinkedIn’s privacy policy does not mention it. Because LinkedIn knows each user’s real name, employer, and job title, it is not searching anonymous visitors. It is searching identified people at identified companies. Millions of companies. Every day. All over the world.
phoenixz 39 points 6 months ago

Why it's illegal and potentially criminal

LinkedIn scans your browser for installed extensions every time you visit the site. It does this without asking, without telling you, and without any mention in its privacy policy.

Cool! Send the fucking CEO to jail. Send a fucking message. If I break the law, I go to jail, can we PLEASE give them the same treatment already?

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iamthetot 7 points 6 months ago

Keep dreaming.

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Nighed 36 points 6 months ago

* browser extensions

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Nooodel 11 points 6 months ago

Thanks for pointing it out

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KairuByte 25 points 6 months ago

I’m sorry, how exactly is a website searching my computer from within a locked down browser?

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fatcat 10 points 6 months ago path: 0 23007930 23008403, hotness: undefined, score: 10, children: 5
KairuByte 33 points 6 months ago

Oh, browser extensions. And specifically on chromium browsers.

Yeah, that makes much more sense than “any installed software”. It also throws out their claim of this being illegal. Using a browser API endpoint to say “hey do you have this extension” isn’t illegal, at least in most countries.

Is this shitty behavior? Yes. Is this anywhere near what their clickbait title and honestly clickbait article claim? Not in the slightest.

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fatcat 11 points 6 months ago path: 0 23007930 23008403 23008702 23009353, hotness: undefined, score: 11, children: 1
KairuByte 2 points 6 months ago

Eh, I can see how that might work under EU law. So I suppose there’s a potential for it to be illegal in the EU then.

Though I do question the extent that could reach, since “left leaning lesbians looking for work only browser” could be the user agent if someone was so inclined. Admittedly though, that’s outside the scope of this argument.

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phoenixz 1 point 6 months ago

Okay, so is there a browser plugin that can hide the plugins that I have installed?

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KairuByte 6 points 6 months ago

Don’t use a chromium browser, from the looks of it.

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phoenixz 8 points 6 months ago

And they send me over 2.5mb of javascript code for this shit?

Why oh why is the internet such a shit place these days?

Greedy fucking C suite execs. That's why

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AthanAster 7 points 6 months ago

So this is basically fingerprinting extensions? They aren't scanning your system but it's still invasive if they aren't mentioning this anywhere. Seems like a browser level issue, not really illegal in most places, but definitely shady behavior that should be flagged.

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Nooodel 5 points 6 months ago

They save that with your clear name making it a GDPR violation, as they a) don't have a legit reason to do so and b) fail to disclose it in their data processing notifications

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Goldenring 6 points 6 months ago

I’m glad I didn’t upload my profile pic. I shut the website down in 2016

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NewNewAugustEast 2 points 6 months ago

Why people keep using Linked In is beyond me. It never has been anything more than a data mining operation with people gladly giving them all their real details.

Remember when Linked IN became the man in the middle of your emails? It would read them and send email to your contacts list.

Microsoft has said after they purchased them that they were only in it for the data. This is no secret.

I will not hire people who put linked in on their resumes, as I have to assume they are just stupid.

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