LinkedIn Faces Complaint Over Its Selling Of User Data

Vein : A leading data protection group on Tuesday filed a complaint against LinkedIn in Austria over the professional networking platform’s sale of user data.

Vienna-based Noyb, which stands for “None of Your Business,” said it filed a complaint with the Austrian Data Protection Authority on behalf of a LinkedIn user who wanted to access his data.

The group added that it demanded a “full response to the user’s access request” and also called for a fine to be imposed on LinkedIn.

According to Noyb, the Microsoft-owned platform raises data protection concerns for failure to comply with access requests.

Noyb said the company also asks users to sign up for a paid premium membership if they want to see who visits their profile pages.

“People have the right to receive their own data free of charge,” said Noyb data protection lawyer Martin Baumann.

Noyb said it was “unclear” whether tracking visitors was legal because the company did not actively seek permission.

Noyb initiated hundreds of legal cases, often requiring regulatory authorities to take action against the tech giants.

The group began operating in 2018 with the introduction of the European Union’s groundbreaking General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which aims to make it easier for people to control how companies use their personal information.