LinkedIn to Use Member Data for AI Training by Default Starting November 2025

Microsoft-owned LinkedIn will use your data for training AI, unless you opt-out - General Chat

Companies have two options when they introduce new features: make them opt-in or opt-out. The first is the user-friendly option, as users may select to use a new feature or allow the company to do something. The second is the opposite. It benefits the company, as all users are rolled in and users needing to become active to avoid a change. This is true for a change on Microsoft-owned LinkedIn. Microsoft plans to start using user data on Linkedn for AI training starting November 3, 2025. The kicker: all users are opted in. Means, if you do not become active, your data will be used to train generative AI. Microsoft writes: "Starting November 3, 2o25, we'll use some of your LinkedIn data to improve the content-generating AI that enhances your experience, unless you opt out in your settings". So, there is an opt-out and Microsoft apparently is also emailing users of the service about the change. The change affects users worldwide. However, users from the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the UK won't have their data "made available to certain LinkedIn affiliates (such as Microsoft) for training generative AI models without further notice" according to a help document we spotted on the LinkedIn website.

LinkedIn will use your data to train its AI models unless you opt out

Default-on LinkedIn feature raises concern about consent and data protection Back in September 2025, LinkedIn announced plans to begin using member profiles, posts, resumes, and public activity to train its artificial intelligence models. The professional networking platform and jobs site confirmed data from members in the United Kingdom, the European Union, the European Economic Area, Switzerland, Canada, and Hong Kong will be included. These changes will take effect on November 3, 2025 - and will be enabled by default, so what can you do? If you don't want your data used - and why would you? - you will need to manually opt out. LinkedIn's support page explains: "For members in the EU, EEA, Switzerland, Canada, and Hong Kong, on November 3, 2025, we'll start to use some data from members in these regions to train content-generating AI models... We rely on legitimate interest to process your data for this purpose. You can opt out anytime in your settings if you'd prefer not to have your data used in this way." You can find out more about what LinkedIn intends to do in this FAQ. The company's reliance on legitimate interest allows it to enable the feature automatically under data protection law, provided members can opt out. The setting you need to do this, called Data for Generative AI Improvement, is found under Data privacy within How LinkedIn uses your data in account settings. Click here. Opting out will stop LinkedIn from using data collected after the change takes effect, but any information gathered before that date will remain in the AI training environment so you need to act now to prevent that happening. Should you wish take your objection a step further you can do so via the LinkedIn Data Processing Objection form. The platform notes that this option covers data used to train both content-generating and other machine learning models. LinkedIn says under-18 users will be excluded from AI training. The change in part of the Microsoft-owned LinkedIn's plan to integrate AI into features such as job matching and writing suggestions. This approach follows a wider trend among social media platforms. Meta made a similar move last year for Facebook and Instagram, resuming the practice after regulatory review. If you're at all concerned about your privacy, checking and changing the settings before November 3, 2025, is the best way to keep your data out of AI training systems.