Security researchers have found evidence that Microsoft subsidiary LinkedIn was running a large-scale secret surveillance operation This article explores linkedin official privacy. . Fairlinked e.V., a group for business users, says that LinkedIn uses hidden code on users' devices to look for installed apps and browser extensions.

This hidden script runs on the user's computer every time they visit the platform, without asking for permission or letting them know. The secret code finds browser add-ons that have to do with religion, politics, or neurodivergent accessibility aids. LinkedIn keeps an eye on 509 specific job search tools, which lets the site know exactly who is secretly looking for work. The platform looked at the customer bases of more than 200 direct competitors, including well-known sales tools like Apollo, Lusha, and ZoomInfo.

LinkedIn uses this information to find business targets and send threats of enforcement through third-party apps. The investigation shows that LinkedIn uses hidden tracking pixels and secret scripts to send user data directly to outside companies. LinkedIn's official privacy policy doesn't say anything about these tracking methods and partnerships.

This raises serious legal and criminal concerns about the platform's widespread data collection practices. The Fairlinked investigation shows that LinkedIn increased its surveillance in 2023 in order to get around the EU's Digital Markets Act. LinkedIn is said to have lied to European regulators instead of following the rules. The European Commission received two APIs from the company, but they can only handle 0.07 calls per second.

LinkedIn also left out its most important internal API, the "Voyager," which handles 163,000 calls per second and powers all of its web and mobile apps. Instead, LinkedIn quickly grew its hidden scanning list from 461 products in 2024 to more than 6,000 by February 2026.