LinkedIn, the largest professional networking platform, has been implicated in a significant privacy scandal.
An investigation by Fairlinked e.V. reveals that LinkedIn secretly scans users' browsers for installed extensions without consent.
This hidden JavaScript code operates primarily on Chrome-based browsers, collecting data on over 6,167 extensions, thereby creating detailed profiles of users and their organizations.
This surveillance poses serious risks, as it aggregates sensitive information linked to users' real identities.
The data collected can reveal job search activities, political affiliations, and even religious beliefs, all of which are protected under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation.
LinkedIn’s lack of consent or disclosure for this data collection raises legal concerns.
Additionally, the investigation highlights the involvement of HUMAN Security, which aids in tracking users across websites.
This widespread data collection has grown exponentially, increasing from 461 extensions in 2024 to over 6,000 by early 2026, raising alarms about corporate espionage.
Regulators have been alerted, and legal actions are forthcoming.
Users are advised to switch to browsers like Firefox or Safari or create dedicated profiles in Chrome to mitigate this invasive tracking.
The BrowserGate scandal underscores the urgent need for transparency in data privacy practices.
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