LinkedIn (LNKD) has SneakedIn social advertising to its business networking service. Here's what Nick Hughes from So Entrepreneurial says about LinkedIn's privacy infraction in a Business Insider article:
"I discovered this little secret today and want to make sure you are aware of it.
LinkedIn is automatically opting you into their social advertising, and may be using your image and actions within advertising on their site. Yes, this is shocking to me.
Take this as a warning because as LinkedIn gets larger they might start to extend their ad network out onto other properties and I want to make sure I am not involved (unless I have consented to it).
Probably good to check into this now if you didn't already. Here is where to go and what you will read (Image below):"
[Click Image To Enlarge]
Michael Gaasterland another LinkedIn member said this about LinkedIn's Manage Social Advertising privacy goof:
"Wow. Shocking.
As it turns out, Linkedin has sneakily changed it’s members account settings, so that their name and face can be used in advertsing messages on the Linkedin platform.
Ehrm… What?!
I am not 100% surprised though, because Linkedin has a habbit of deploying socially unethical marketing techniques."
That right. You are automatically opt-ed IN for social advertising. Unasked. Unwanted. Unpaid.
That’s an example of what one LinkedIn member is saying even though the move was anticipated back in June. It’s also being called a privacy blunder.
Yet users have been waking up only slowly to the fact that LinkedIn now combines their network activity with advertising and endorsements. They don’t seem that alarmed, or alert to the alternatives that LinkedIn could and should have considered.
I’ve been blissfully unaware of it – as have other users – until I saw a complaint with over 300 likes…. on LinkedIn. Yes my network, like me largely freeloaders on LinkedIn, has been complaining at something less than viral speed. It’s taken five days to get this far. And like me they are gradually turning off the social advertising setting.
Are we being at all hypocritical? Isn’t LinkedIn entitled to make some money out of us and if we turn this off should we feel any obligation either to pay or suggest alternatives?
Or could this have been a really interesting call from LinkedIn – to share revenues with its members like Google does with content creators?
Here’s what LinkedIn claims it is doing:
LinkedIn may sometimes pair an advertiser’s message with social content from LinkedIn’s network in order to make the ad more relevant. When LinkedIn members recommend people and services, follow companies, or take other actions, their name/photo may show up in related ads shown to you. Conversely, when you take these actions on LinkedIn, your name/photo may show up in related ads shown to LinkedIn members. By providing social context, we make it easy for our members to learn about products and services that the LinkedIn network is interacting with.
On second thoughts I really do not want to have my photograph or profile advertising companies and products. But I wonder does this make it a privacy blunder?
It seems to me the issue is really about revenue share – this feels like Google Ads without a cut for the content creator. That’s a different and more interesting issue and a missed opportunity for LinkedIn to do something really viral and compelling.
COMMENTARY: LinkedIn's privacy violation is appalling and could even be considered illegal. I think the FTC frowns on people using your picture, video or audio in an advertisement without your permission. I can see some lawsuits about this. I am a LinkedIn member, and hope my picture was not used in this illegal and unauthorized manner.
For those of you concerned about LinkedIn's privacy violation, Michael Gaasterland provides instructions on how to opt-out of LinkedIn's Social Ads:
How to opt-out of Linkedin social advertising program
- Login to Linkedin
- Choose ‘Settings’
- Choose ‘Account’
- Under ‘Privacy controls’, select ‘Manage Social Advertising’
- Uncheck box ‘LinkedIn may use my name, photo in social advertising’
- Click ‘Save’
- You now receive a notification ‘You have successfully updated your social advertising settings’.
Thanks, Michael
P.S. Right below the 'Manage Social Advertising' link is another link titled Turn on/off enhanced advertising. By opting out of that advertising setting, this prevents LinkedIn from serving you ads from their enhanced Advertising Partner Network. I would recommend that you click that one OFF too.
FILING COMPLAINTS WITH FTC
I consider LinkedIn's privacy violation absolutely unacceptable, preventable and done with malice of forethought. They absolutely knew what they were doing. They never bothered to notify anybody about their social ad feature or requested permission to use your photograph in ads. They simply opted-in ALL LinkedIn members without their permission. This is such a serious violation of online privacy that I have filed a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Comission (FTC). Here's the link so that you can file a similar complaint:
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/
Courtesy of an article dated August 9, 2011 appearing in Forbes and an article dated July 27, 2011 appearing in Business Insider and an article dated July 13, 2011 appearing in Business Insider
Comments