LinkedIn Privacy: Professional networking platform LinkedIn has been considered a trustworthy place for a long time, but a recent research has raised questions on this image. According to the report, the platform is using a special script to track the browser activity of users.
What was revealed in the BrowserGate report
According to a BrowserGate report by German organization Fairlinked eV and confirmed by BleepingComputer, LinkedIn is injecting a JavaScript script during every page load. This script scans thousands of Chrome extensions installed in the user’s browser. Its number is now said to be more than 6,000.
What information is being collected?
Through this script, not only the extension but also many important information related to the user’s device is being collected. This includes details like number of CPU cores, time zone, language setting, battery status and existing memory. Apart from this, screen size, storage capacity and other technical information related to the system is also collected.
How to identify extensions
According to the report, this script tries to access files associated with specific extension IDs. In this method it is found out which extensions are installed in the user’s browser. This technology is already known in Chromium based browsers. It has also been claimed in the report that this data is being sent to a cyber security company named HUMAN Security. However, this claim has not yet been independently confirmed.
What clarification did LinkedIn give?
Responding to these allegations, LinkedIn has said that to maintain user privacy and security of the platform, it identifies extensions that scrape data without permission. The company says that it does not use this information to extract any sensitive information.
Should users worry?
This whole matter has started a new debate regarding online privacy. If these claims prove to be true then it can become a big issue for the digital security and trust of users. In such a situation, it becomes very important to be alert and keep an eye on the settings and extensions of your browser.
Also read:
How to record calls without anyone knowing? 99% people do not know this easy trick
