Is LinkedIn Safe?
An independent privacy and security review of linkedin.com. All claims sourced from official privacy policies, regulatory actions, and credible research.
LinkedIn (owned by Microsoft) collects extensive professional and personal data and was fined €310 million by Ireland's DPC in October 2024 for using members' data for behavioral analysis and targeted advertising without valid consent. The DPC found that LinkedIn's consent mechanisms were inadequate and that its claim of 'legitimate interest' did not override users' privacy rights. In November 2025, LinkedIn began using US members' data to train AI models. LinkedIn also uses 'dynamic ads' that personalize ad content using profile data, opted in by default.
📊 What LinkedIn Collects About You
Based on LinkedIn's privacy policy (2024 (LinkedIn Privacy Policy)):
🔍 Tracking & Third-Party Data Sharing
LinkedIn runs a significant advertising business using behavioral profiling. The platform serves 'dynamic ads' that incorporate users' profile data (name, photo, job title) directly into ad creative — opted in by default. LinkedIn was found to lack valid legal basis for this behavioral advertising by the Irish DPC.
- LinkedIn was fined €310 million by Ireland's DPC in October 2024 — one of the largest GDPR fines ever — for behavioral analysis and targeted advertising without valid consent
- LinkedIn's 'dynamic ads' use your profile photo, name, and job title directly in ad creative, and this is opted in by default
- The DPC found LinkedIn's consent mechanisms fell short of GDPR standards and its 'legitimate interests' claim was invalid
- LinkedIn often makes top-10 lists of apps worst for user privacy, despite its professional focus
- Starting November 2025, LinkedIn began using US members' data for AI model training
🔓 Breach History
LinkedIn has experienced multiple large-scale data scraping incidents that exposed user profile data.
⚖️ Regulatory Actions & Fines
⚠️ Key Privacy Risks Specific to LinkedIn
🛠️ Privacy Controls Available
LinkedIn provides privacy settings but defaults favor data collection and advertising. The platform's professional nature means much personal data is shared publicly by design.
- Ad preferences: Can disable dynamic ads and interest-based advertising
- Profile visibility controls: Limit who sees your full profile
- Data download: Export your LinkedIn data
- Account deletion available
- Control whether your profile is used in ads shown to connections
- AI training: No opt-out available for US members as of November 2025
🛡️ How to Protect Your Privacy on LinkedIn
1. Use a VPN — Hides your IP address and encrypts your connection, preventing LinkedIn from linking your activity to your real location and ISP.
2. Use a privacy browser — Firefox with strict tracking protection or Brave blocks many third-party trackers. Consider browser extensions like Privacy Badger (EFF) or uBlock Origin.
3. Check your browser fingerprint — See how uniquely identifiable you are with our Browser Fingerprint Test.
4. Check for breaches — See if your accounts have been compromised with our Email Breach Checker.
5. Review your settings — Tighten LinkedIn's privacy settings and disable data collection where possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is LinkedIn safe to use in 2026?
LinkedIn is a legitimate service used by millions, but its data collection practices raise privacy concerns. Our analysis rates its privacy risk as "high" based on data collection scope, tracking practices, breach history, and regulatory actions. Whether it's "safe" depends on your personal comfort with data exposure.
Does LinkedIn sell my data?
Most major services claim they don't "sell" data in the traditional sense. However, they may share data with advertising partners, use it for targeted advertising, or monetize it through data-driven ad platforms. The functional result for users is often similar whether data is technically "sold" or used for ad targeting.
How do I delete my LinkedIn data?
Most services offer a data download and deletion option in their account settings, typically under "Privacy" or "Your Data." Under GDPR (EU), you have the legal right to request full data deletion. In the US, some states (California, Virginia, Colorado, and others) offer similar rights. Check LinkedIn's privacy settings for data download and account deletion options.
When was this review last updated?
This review was last verified on 2026-02-16. We check the privacy policy at https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy and update our review when significant changes occur. See our methodology page for details on our review process.
📎 Sources
- LinkedIn Privacy Policy (effective 2024 (LinkedIn Privacy Policy))
- TechCrunch — 'LinkedIn fined $335 million in EU for tracking ads privacy breaches' (Oct 2024)
- The Record — 'LinkedIn hit with $335 million fine' (Oct 2024)
- Al Jazeera — 'Are tech companies training their AI with private data?' (Nov 2025)
- Irish DPC fined LinkedIn €310 million for GDPR violations: processing members' data for behavioral analysis and targeted advertising without valid consent. LinkedIn was given 3 months to bring EU operations into compliance — Irish DPC; TechCrunch; The Record; Euronews (2024)