this post was submitted on 02 Apr 2026
120 points (96.9% liked)

Privacy

47894 readers
182 users here now

A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.

Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.

In this community everyone is welcome to post links and discuss topics related to privacy.

Some Rules

Related communities

much thanks to @gary_host_laptop for the logo design :)

founded 6 years ago
MODERATORS
top 16 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 24 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Why it's illegal and potentially criminal

LinkedIn scans your browser for installed extensions every time you visit the site. It does this without asking, without telling you, and without any mention in its privacy policy.

Cool! Send the fucking CEO to jail. Send a fucking message. If I break the law, I go to jail, can we PLEASE give them the same treatment already?

[–] iamthetot@piefed.ca 4 points 1 week ago

Keep dreaming.

[–] Nighed@feddit.uk 22 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)
[–] Nooodel@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago

Thanks for pointing it out

[–] KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I’m sorry, how exactly is a website searching my computer from within a locked down browser?

[–] fatcat@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 1 week ago (2 children)

https://browsergate.eu/how-it-works/

I can't tell you if that's technically sound but that's what was said on the page linked...

[–] KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Oh, browser extensions. And specifically on chromium browsers.

Yeah, that makes much more sense than “any installed software”. It also throws out their claim of this being illegal. Using a browser API endpoint to say “hey do you have this extension” isn’t illegal, at least in most countries.

Is this shitty behavior? Yes. Is this anywhere near what their clickbait title and honestly clickbait article claim? Not in the slightest.

[–] fatcat@discuss.tchncs.de 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The title is shit but they explain why they think it's illegal: https://browsergate.eu/why-its-illegal/

[–] KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 week ago

Eh, I can see how that might work under EU law. So I suppose there’s a potential for it to be illegal in the EU then.

Though I do question the extent that could reach, since “left leaning lesbians looking for work only browser” could be the user agent if someone was so inclined. Admittedly though, that’s outside the scope of this argument.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Okay, so is there a browser plugin that can hide the plugins that I have installed?

[–] KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 week ago

Don’t use a chromium browser, from the looks of it.

[–] Goldenring@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 week ago

I’m glad I didn’t upload my profile pic. I shut the website down in 2016

[–] AthanAster@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

So this is basically fingerprinting extensions? They aren't scanning your system but it's still invasive if they aren't mentioning this anywhere. Seems like a browser level issue, not really illegal in most places, but definitely shady behavior that should be flagged.

[–] Nooodel@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

They save that with your clear name making it a GDPR violation, as they a) don't have a legit reason to do so and b) fail to disclose it in their data processing notifications

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 week ago

And they send me over 2.5mb of javascript code for this shit?

Why oh why is the internet such a shit place these days?

Greedy fucking C suite execs. That's why

[–] NewNewAugustEast@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 week ago

Why people keep using Linked In is beyond me. It never has been anything more than a data mining operation with people gladly giving them all their real details.

Remember when Linked IN became the man in the middle of your emails? It would read them and send email to your contacts list.

Microsoft has said after they purchased them that they were only in it for the data. This is no secret.

I will not hire people who put linked in on their resumes, as I have to assume they are just stupid.