tech
April 3, 2026
Do You Have a LinkedIn Account? User Association Claims Microsoft Is Secretly Digging Through Your Computer
The Association of Commercial LinkedIn Users, called Fairlinked e.V., has launched a "BrowserGate" campaign accusing Microsoft of one of the biggest spying operations in internet history. According to their claims, LinkedIn uses hidden code that illegally searches your internet browser, lists all installed extensions, and sends this data to third parties without any notification.
TL;DR
- Fairlinked e.V. alleges LinkedIn uses hidden code to illegally scan browser extensions.
- The scanned data includes political/religious beliefs, job search activities, and competitor software usage.
- This data is allegedly sent to third parties without user notification.
- The association claims LinkedIn has significantly increased its monitoring of tools, especially those related to EU privacy laws.
- Microsoft is accused of using this information to threaten users of competitor software.
- Data is reportedly sent to a US-Israeli cybersecurity firm via hidden scripts.
- Fairlinked e.V. is raising funds for lawsuits against LinkedIn's alleged data theft.