Two California lawsuits filed this week claim LinkedIn secretly probed users' browsers for installed extensions, harvested session-linked data, and passed that information to unnamed third parties. The plaintiffs argue the practice breached the California Constitution's privacy protections, the California Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act, and, in one case, the federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act.

Attorney J.R. Howell, who represents the plaintiffs in the Ganan case, says his complaint rests on an independent review of LinkedIn's client‑side code. He alleges the company failed to inform users in any clear, meaningful way that their browsers would be scanned. "A reasonable user does not consent to mass browser surveillance and third‑party data exploitation through vague references to security, cookies, add‑ons, or abuse prevention," Howell told Ars. The complaint seeks both financial compensation and an injunction compelling LinkedIn to change its data‑collection practices.

The Farrell lawsuit, filed by a separate legal team, leans heavily on a report from the advocacy group BrowserGate, which is linked to the firm Teamfluence. While the filing does not mention BrowserGate directly, it quotes the report extensively and describes Fairlinked as a European advocacy group. The plaintiffs argue that LinkedIn's public statements have not meaningfully denied the core conduct alleged in the complaint.

LinkedIn responded to inquiries with a brief statement that it is reviewing the allegations. The company has not issued a detailed denial or clarification of its data‑collection methods. Critics note that the lack of a substantive response leaves the core issue—whether users were adequately informed—unanswered.

Legal experts say the cases could set a precedent for how tech firms disclose background data collection. If the court grants the injunctions sought, LinkedIn may have to redesign its browser‑extension scanning process or abandon it altogether. The lawsuits also highlight growing scrutiny of how social platforms handle user data beyond the obvious profile information.

Both suits were filed in California courts, reflecting the state's robust privacy framework. The outcomes could influence not only LinkedIn's practices but also broader industry standards for transparency in data gathering.

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