LinkedIn is latest social media company to process data for AI without consent

Open Rights Group is calling on the ICO to take action against social media companies that process users’ data without consent.

The digital rights group’s call comes as it was revealed that LinkedIn is the latest social media company that is processing its users data to train AI. Like X, LinkedIn have automatically opted users in to processing for AI development.

Earlier this week, Meta announced that it was resuming plans to process its users data after engaging with the Information Commissioner’s Office on making the opt out process simpler.

Open Rights Group’s Legal and Policy Officer Mariano delli Santi said:

“LinkedIn is the latest social media company found to be processing our data without asking for consent.”

“The opt-out model proves once again to be wholly inadequate to protect our rights: the public cannot be expected to monitor and chase every single online company that decides to use our data to train AI. Opt-in consent isn’t only legally mandated, but a common-sense requirement.”

The ICO’s failure to take action means that people in the UK have weaker data protection rights than people in Europe, where data protection authorities have taken a stand against Meta and X. Likewise, LinkedIn users in Europe appear not to have been enrolled by default in Microsoft’s AI training.

The ICO has still not responded to ORG’s complaint about Meta, which asked them to investigate Meta’s plans and issue a legally binding order to stop processing UK’s personal data to train AI in the absence of valid opt-in consent. The UK data regulator also does not appear to have issued any statements about X or LinkedIn.

delli Santi added:

“The ICO’s failure to take action sends a message to social media companies that they can ignore the data protection rights of people in the UK.

“The ICO need to investigate and take urgent action against Meta, X, LinkedIn and other companies that think they are above the law.”