How to Stop LinkedIn from Using Your Data for AI Training

It’s crazy how big tech companies can secretly take our personal data and content and use it to train their generative AI models.

Honestly, I wouldn’t care if I was getting a slice of the profit.

But that’s not how these things work and why you should also stop LinkedIn from using your data for AI training.

In fact, I probably gave away my rights the moment I signed up to LinkedIn. Because who in their right mind actually reads the fine print (i.e., legal pages) before signing up to social media?

So, I guess we can’t fully blame these “evil” tech companies. Instead, now that we’re aware of the issue, we can simply turn off access and move on with our lives.

Disclaimer: I’m going to keep writing for a bit because this blog post is actually an SEO experiment.

However, if you want the link to quickly stop LinkedIn from using your data for AI training, here it is

• https://www.linkedin.com/mypreferences/d/settings/data-for-ai-improvement

(Just copy and paste it into your browser)

How LinkedIn is Using Your Data for AI Training

It’s alarming how LinkedIn, without explicitly asking for consent, decided to use our personal data and content to improve their generative AI models. This is not just a LinkedIn problem—it’s a growing issue across all social platforms.

But it’s LinkedIn in the spotlight today.

For a platform that’s supposed to help professionals connect, you’d think transparency would be at the core of their operations. Yet, here we are, finding out that our content is being used without so much as a heads-up.

Generative AI: Your Data at Work Without Consent

Data for Generative AI Improvement is a hot topic, especially when it involves platforms like LinkedIn quietly taking the liberty to mine users’ posts, comments, and activity. It’s one thing to agree to data collection for marketing or analytics when you sign up.

But AI training?

That’s a whole different ball game. And unless you’re reading every update to their terms of service—which, let’s be real, most of us aren’t—it’s easy to miss when they sneak in these new clauses.

Where is LinkedIn’s Data Stealing Kill Switch?

What makes it worse is that personal data for AI training wasn’t something LinkedIn explicitly sought consent for. Instead, they rolled out a “kill switch” in your account settings, allowing you to opt-out after the fact. Think about that for a second.

Despite the backlash, LinkedIn has defended their position on user control and transparency. In a statement, Mr. Lawit, LinkedIn’s VP of Legal, said in a puiblished statement:

“As technology and our business evolves, and the world of work changes, we remain committed to providing clarity about our practices and keeping you in control of the information you entrust with us.” 

I don’t buy it. You have to actively go in and stop them from using your data for AI purposes.

By default, they’re free to use your content, your personal data, your professional insights—everything you post on LinkedIn to train their AI models.

It’s sneaky, to say the least.

European Users are Safe, Right?

If you’re based in Europe, you’re in luck.

Thanks to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), your personal data for AI training is more protected.

GDPR mandates that companies must gain explicit consent before using your data in ways that aren’t immediately clear, like AI training.

It’s arguably the best privacy protection on the planet right now, and I wouldn’t be surprised if more regions start adopting similar regulations in the future.

For those of us outside Europe, though, it’s a bit of a wild west.

The rules are far more relaxed, and companies like LinkedIn can leverage that ambiguity to push the boundaries of data usage.

Sure, you can opt out using the kill switch I mentioned earlier, but shouldn’t it have been opt-in from the start? That’s what really gets me.

Conclusion

So, while I continue with this SEO experiment, I encourage you to check if your LinkedIn data is being used without your knowledge. Here’s the link again to turn off data for AI improvement: LinkedIn AI Data Settings.

And, shout out to Jay Acunzo—if I hadn’t seen his post in my feed today, I might still be unaware of LinkedIn’s behind-the-scenes data usage. It’s posts like his that remind us to stay informed and vigilant because if we don’t protect our own data, who will?