LinkedIn to Use Your Data for AI Training from November 3

LinkedIn's Major Privacy Policy Update

LinkedIn is implementing significant changes to its Terms of Service and data use policies effective November 3, 2025, which will automatically use member data to train generative AI models unless users explicitly opt out. The professional networking platform, owned by Microsoft, is expanding its AI training practices to include users in the European Union, European Economic Area, Switzerland, Canada, and Hong Kong.

What Data Will Be Used?

The AI training will utilize profile details, public content, posts, resumes, and engagement data from LinkedIn members. 'This includes your professional profile information, public posts, articles you've written, and your interactions on the platform,' explained a LinkedIn spokesperson. 'Importantly, private messages are excluded from this data collection.' The platform is relying on 'legitimate interest' under data protection laws to process this information without requiring explicit consent.

How to Protect Your Privacy

Users who wish to prevent their data from being used for AI training must manually disable the setting. 'You need to navigate to Settings & Privacy > Data Privacy > Data for Generative AI Improvement and toggle off the option,' advised privacy expert Maria Rodriguez. 'The concerning aspect is that this is enabled by default - users are automatically opted in without their explicit permission.'

The opt-out process requires users to visit their LinkedIn settings and disable the 'Use my data for training content creation AI models' option. Users can also submit a formal Data Processing Objection Form.

Regional Variations and Microsoft Integration

The policy changes vary by region. For users in Canada and Hong Kong, LinkedIn will also share additional data with Microsoft for personalized advertising purposes starting November 3. 'We're expanding data sharing with our affiliate Microsoft to improve ad relevance across their platforms,' stated LinkedIn's official announcement.

Users in the United States will see changes primarily related to advertising data sharing with Microsoft, while the AI training component remains unchanged for now. All regions maintain the ability to opt out of data sharing through their privacy settings.

Legal and Privacy Concerns

The opt-out approach has raised concerns among privacy advocates. 'This represents a significant shift in how user consent is handled,' noted digital rights attorney James Wilson. 'By making AI training the default and requiring users to actively opt out, LinkedIn is testing the boundaries of data protection regulations like GDPR.'

LinkedIn emphasizes that users under 18 are automatically excluded from AI training and that all prior privacy settings will be honored. However, critics point out that opting out only prevents future data use and doesn't retract information already collected.

The platform's updated User Agreement and Privacy Policy take effect on November 3, 2025. Users who continue using LinkedIn services after this date automatically accept the new terms.