- LinkedIn will use customer data to train its AI models from November 2025
- EU, EEA, Switzerland, Canada and Hong Kong users all affected
- Users will be opted in by default
LinkedIn has said it will start using some member profiles, posts, resumes and public activity to train its AI models from November 3, 2025.
Users are rightly frustrated with the change, with the biggest concern isn’t the business networking platform will do so, but that it’s set to be enabled by default, with users instead having to actively opt out.
Users can choose to opt out via the ‘data for generative AI improvement’ setting, however it will only apply to data collected after they opt out, with data up until that point still retained within the training environment.
Stop LinkedIn using my data for AI training
“If you wish to object to our processing of your data or content for training generative AI models that do not generate content or for training other AI or machine learning models, you can submit an objection through LinkedIn Data Processing Objection form,” LinkedIn noted in a support page.
It’s not only UK customers who will be affected by the change – EU, EEA, Switzerland, Canada and Hong Kong profiles will all see their data being used to train LinkedIn’s AI tools.
Opting out is relatively easy compared with overly complex social networking settings we’ve become accustomed to. ‘Data for Generative AI Improvement’ is found within ‘How LinkedIn uses your data’ under the ‘Data privacy’ section of Settings.
Microsoft is able to get away with enabling this setting by default because it’s framed as ‘legitimate interest’ in the eyes of the law.
Data from under-18s will be excluded from the training, LinkedIn confirmed.
LinkedIn isn’t alone in its decision to train on UK user data, though. Meta announced in September 2024 that it would begin doing the same via its Facebook and Instagram platforms, and after pausing this in response to an Information Commissioner’s Office complaint, it has now resumed user data-based training with clearer opt-out options.
