LinkedIn mit Sammelklagen wegen Browser-Erweiterungsscans konfrontiert

Please destroy this platform.

I find it funny Microsoft could just run the traffic of a user through an AI model and leave no footprint. But they’re afraid of making decisions based on AI slop. The same slop that they want everyone else to embrace.

For anyone wanting the full scope of what this actually is:

LinkedIn has been scanning 6,000+ browser extensions and fingerprinting devices. They’re specifically tracking accessibility tools (screen readers) and focus tools used by neurodivergent people (ADHD timers, distraction blockers).

The fingerprinting data (extensions, fonts, timezone, plugins) creates a unique device identifier that tracks users across the web for targeting and behavioral prediction, even when logged out.

The real issue is that they’re inferring health and disability status from assistive tech use without consent. The scope also far exceeds what’s needed for fraud detection, which is LinkedIn’s stated justification. This raises GDPR consent issues and discrimination concerns around targeting based on inferred disability.

But here’s the thing: there’s a design choice being made. Platforms could verify you’re human once through a zero-knowledge proof such as World ID, Humanode and other similar systems without ever seeing your device fingerprint. You prove personhood separately, outside the platform. But instead, every company builds its own fingerprint database because it’s cheaper and gives them more data for targeting. The verification problem and the surveillance problem don’t have to be the same problem, but right now they are by design choice.