Social Media Giants Harvest Your Data for AI Training

Recent reports have highlighted that LinkedIn has begun training its AI on user posts by default, a move that has raised significant privacy concerns. This change was not communicated to users, prompting criticism from privacy advocates. LinkedIn, along with Meta, which has been collecting data from Facebook and Instagram since 2007, and X (formerly Twitter), which started similar practices in July, has faced backlash for its data harvesting practices. LinkedIn has stated that it will update its terms of service to clarify its data usage policies. To opt out of LinkedIn's data harvesting for AI, users must navigate through the 'Settings & Privacy' section, where they can toggle a switch to prevent their data from being used for AI training. However, opting out does not erase any data that has already been collected. LinkedIn claims it aims to minimize personal data in its training datasets, but critics argue that the lack of transparency undermines user control over their information. For other platforms, the process to opt out is similarly complex. Users of X can adjust their settings to prevent data sharing for AI training, while Meta users have limited options unless they set their accounts to private. The situation is further complicated by the absence of data privacy laws in certain regions, leaving users with little recourse against data harvesting practices. TikTok has not provided any information regarding its use of user data for AI training, leaving a gap in understanding how it handles similar concerns. Overall, the growing trend of social media companies utilizing user data for AI training raises critical questions about privacy and user consent.