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LinkedIn Suspends AI Model Training in UK Over Privacy Issues!

  • Dave Andre
    Dave Andre
    Dave Andre
    Senior Writer
    Digital marketing enthusiast by day, nature wanderer by dusk. Dave Andre blends two decades of AI and SaaS expertise into impactful strategies for SMEs. His weekends? Lost in books on tech trends and rejuvenating on scenic trails.
    See Full Bio >
    Dave Andre
    Dave Andre
    Dave Andre
    Senior Writer
    Digital marketing enthusiast by day, nature wanderer by dusk. Dave Andre blends two decades of AI and SaaS expertise into impactful strategies for SMEs. His weekends? Lost in books on tech trends and rejuvenating on scenic trails.
    See Full Bio >
    Senior Writer
  • September 23, 2024
    Updated
linkedin-suspends-ai-model-training-in-uk-over-privacy-issues

Key Takeaways

  • Regulatory Action: LinkedIn has paused AI model training on UK user data following concerns raised by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), highlighting increasing regulatory scrutiny over data privacy practices.
  • Consent Issues: LinkedIn’s quiet changes to its privacy policy have sparked criticism, particularly due to the lack of explicit user consent, as users were automatically opted in for data sharing without clear notification.
  • Industry-Wide Scrutiny: Other tech giants, such as Meta, have similarly faced backlash for using user data in AI training, indicating a broader industry issue with consent and transparency in data practices.
  • Demand for Opt-In Consent: Privacy advocates argue for a shift from opt-out to opt-in consent, emphasizing the need for users to actively agree before their data is used for AI model training.

The UK’s data protection watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), has confirmed that LinkedIn, owned by Microsoft, has temporarily stopped processing user data from the UK to train its AI models.

Stephen Almond, the ICO’s executive director of regulatory risk, expressed satisfaction with LinkedIn’s decision, stating, “We are pleased that LinkedIn has reflected on the concerns we raised about its approach to training generative AI models with information relating to its U.K. users. We welcome LinkedIn’s confirmation that it has suspended such model training pending further engagement with the ICO.”

Privacy experts noticed LinkedIn’s quiet edit to its privacy policy following backlash over the use of user data for AI training.

The update added the UK to the list of European regions where LinkedIn does not provide an opt-out option, stating that it is not processing local user data for this purpose.

LinkedIn’s general counsel, Blake Lawit, clarified in a company blog post that “At this time, we are not enabling training for generative AI on member data from the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, and will not provide the setting to members in those regions until further notice.”

Previously, LinkedIn had specified that it did not use data from users in the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, where the GDPR applies. However, since UK data protection laws are still based on the EU framework, the lack of similar treatment for UK users led to criticism from privacy advocates.

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The Open Rights Group (ORG), a UK-based digital rights nonprofit, filed a fresh complaint with the ICO regarding LinkedIn’s consentless data processing for AI. The ORG also criticized the ICO for not taking stronger action to prevent what they called another “AI data heist.”

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The issue of consent is not limited to LinkedIn. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, recently lifted a previous pause on processing UK user data for AI training, defaulting once again to data harvesting unless users actively opt-out.

This action by Meta has been met with criticism, with the ICO previously voicing concerns about such practices but not taking any measures to halt them so far.

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In response to these ongoing issues, Mariano delli Santi, the legal and policy officer at ORG, emphasized the need for an opt-in consent model rather than relying on users to find and activate opt-out options buried within settings.

He stated, “The opt-out model proves once again to be wholly inadequate to protect our rights: the public cannot be expected to monitor and chase every single online company that decides to use our data to train AI. Opt-in consent isn’t only legally mandated, but a common-sense requirement.”

The ongoing debate highlights the growing tension between technological advancements in AI and the need to respect user privacy and data rights.

September 18, 2024: Google Wins Legal Battle, Overturns Massive 1.5 Billion Euro EU Fine

September 14, 2024: Meta Set to Use UK Users’ Public Posts for AI Training

September 13, 2024: Privacy Fears Mount as Google’s GenAI Faces Scrutiny in Europe

September 12, 2024: Conectado Teams Up with Hollister High to Bring AI and Bioinformatics to the Classroom!

September 11, 2024: Amazon Web Services Announces £8 Billion Investment in the UK Over Five Years!

For more news and trends, visit AI News on our website.

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Digital marketing enthusiast by day, nature wanderer by dusk. Dave Andre blends two decades of AI and SaaS expertise into impactful strategies for SMEs. His weekends? Lost in books on tech trends and rejuvenating on scenic trails.

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