LinkedIn Data Shared With Israeli Intelligence Firm
LinkedIn Data Shared With Israeli Intelligence Firm
Publish Date: 2026-04-04 03:26:00
Source Domain: www.bhaskarenglish.in
3 hours agoAuthor: Sourabh Baghel
A new investigation has sparked serious privacy concerns about how LinkedIn handles user data. A group called Fairlinked e.V. claims the platform may have quietly collected sensitive information from as many as 405 million users without clearly informing them.
The group describes the issue as part of one of the “largest corporate espionage and data breach scandals in digital history.”
What the investigation claims
Image Credits: Cybernews
According to the report, LinkedIn placed special code on its website that scans users’ browsers for installed software and extensions.
This code reportedly:
- Checks thousands of browser extensions using unique identifiers
- Collects the results silently in the background
- Encrypts the data
- Sends it back to LinkedIn’s servers
The report claims this process happens without clear user consent and is not mentioned in LinkedIn’s privacy policy.
Investigators also allege the data may be shared with third parties, including cybersecurity firm HUMAN Security.
Why this raises privacy concerns
Unlike many social platforms, LinkedIn profiles usually contain real identities, job titles, and employer details. That makes any extra data collection more sensitive.
The investigation says LinkedIn scanned over 6,000 browser extensions, some of which could reveal deeply personal information such as:
- Religious beliefs
- Political views
- Health conditions
- Neurodivergent traits
- Whether someone is secretly job hunting
The report even claims LinkedIn detected 509 job-search-related extensions, potentially exposing users looking for new roles while their employers could still view their profiles. Under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), collecting such sensitive data usually requires clear permission from users.
Tracking competing software too?
The investigation also alleges LinkedIn checked for tools used by businesses, including:
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Pipedrive
In total, more than 200 competing services may have been…
