LinkedIn Accused Of Secretly Selling Your Professional Data To Potential Employers

LinkedIn may have violated consumer protection laws by selling users’ work history to potential employers without consent, according to a class-action lawsuit.

The lawsuit was filed last week in a California federal court, and asserts that LinkedIn’s job reference tool allowed employers to make hiring and firing decisions without regard to or knowledge of LinkedIn users. 

The tool let employers with paid premium accounts anonymously mine potential applicants’ employment history that would yield a report with current job titles for potential references, common employers and duration of employment.  

The employers running these searches without users’ knowledge were making vital decisions based on potentially inaccurate information, the complaint states.
VIA thinkprogress.org