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Tag: LinkedIn

  • LinkedIn Users Will Be Able to Use AI to Help Create Their Profiles

    LinkedIn Users Will Be Able to Use AI to Help Create Their Profiles

    If you’ve ever struggled to find the right words to describe your career on LinkedIn, the platform is deploying AI to help.

    LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft, giving it access to the same ChatGPT-based tech its parent company is using to power the next generation of its Bing search engine. The networking platform is looking for innovative ways to deploy the tech, including allowing users to tap into AI to write better profiles.

    The company made the announcement as part of a broader initiative to use AI in various classes:

    To empower members with the latest AI skills, starting today we’re unlocking more than 100 LinkedIn Learning courses – and coming soon we’ll roll out twenty new generative AI courses. From the basics to advanced applications of AI, these courses will help members gain a competitive edge in today’s rapidly-changing market.

    But that’s not all. We’re also starting to roll-out new AI-powered features, leveraging advanced OpenAI GPT models, as we continue to look for ways to create more value for our members and customers.

    • To help make the process easier and more effective, we’re testing a new tool for LinkedIn Premium subscribers that provides personalized writing suggestions to your About and headline sections.
    • We’re testing a new AI-powered job description tool that will make it faster and easier to write job descriptions.

    The new features should be a boon for anyone who’s struggled with writer’s block about their current job or a job they’re trying to find candidates for.

  • LinkedIn Introduces AI-Powered Collaborative Articles

    LinkedIn Introduces AI-Powered Collaborative Articles

    LinkedIn is introducing AI-powered collaborative articles to help users tap into “~10 billion years of professional experience.”

    LinkedIn is the leading professional networking platform, giving users a place to connect and communicate with peers. Daniel Roth, Editor in Chief, VP at LinkedIn, also wants the site to serve as a destination for professionals looking to share knowledge and learn from their combined experience.

    The idea came to Roth when talking with an entrepreneur who was trying to figure out how to restructure his company without angering his employees. When Roth asked him where he planned to get help, his response was: “The internet, I guess?”

    Using that moment as inspiration, Roth and his colleges created a way to use AI to jump-start conversations where professionals can share their experience on specific topics:

    We are introducing collaborative articles — knowledge topics published by LinkedIn with insights and perspectives added by the LinkedIn community. These articles begin as AI-powered conversation starters, developed with our editorial team. Then, using LinkedIn’s Skills Graph, we match each article with relevant member experts who can contribute their lessons, anecdotes, and advice based on their professional experience.

    And, that’s when the real magic happens: when professionals share real-life, specific advice by contributing their perspectives to the work questions we’re all facing every day. Because starting a conversation is harder than joining one, these collaborative articles make it easier for professionals to come together and add and improve ideas — which is how shared knowledge is created.

    The collaborative articles provide a way for readers to give feedback, marking helpful contributions as “insightful.” Similarly, contributors earn a Community Top Voice badge in recognition of their insights.

    The new feature is a good example of what can be achieved when combining AI with the human element to create unique and helpful experiences.

  • LinkedIn Hit With Layoffs

    LinkedIn Hit With Layoffs

    Microsoft’s LinkedIn is the latest company to be hit with layoffs, with employees in the recruiting department impacted.

    Microsoft is in the midst of its announced layoffs of some 10,000 employees. When the company broke the news, executives did not reveal which departments and divisions would be impacted. As a result, the industry has been learning which employees are being let go as Microsoft makes the cuts.

    The HoloLens, Surface, and Xbox divisions all recently experienced layoffs. According to The Information, the company has now confirmed that LinkedIn, specifically the recruiting department, is the latest business to be impacted.

    Staff were notified Monday, although, at the time of writing, there were no posts on LinkedIn from any of the affected employees.

  • LinkedIn Automation Security: Learn How Can It Assist In Enhancing Your Business

    LinkedIn Automation Security: Learn How Can It Assist In Enhancing Your Business

    What Is LinkedIn Automation Security?

    Using LinkedIn automation can be a great way to improve the efficiency of your outreach efforts and get the most out of your account. However, it’s important to use automation with care. Some automated tools can be dangerous. These include spam and scraped data, which could be a legal issue.

    The best way to protect your account is to follow LinkedIn’s guidelines. The company will monitor your usage and may limit your activities. If you fail to comply, your account could be permanently blocked. In addition, LinkedIn’s algorithms are strong and will look for suspicious activity.

    Using an analytics dashboard will help you determine the effectiveness of your outreach methods. You can see how many replies you’ve received, how many campaigns you’ve launched, and how many of your campaigns have been accepted.

    The Importance of LinkedIn Automation Security

    Using automation on LinkedIn is a great way to increase your outreach efforts and convert prospects to leads. It is important to use the right tools though, to make sure you’re doing everything legally and safely. Below are some do’s and don’ts to help you avoid getting banned from the platform.

    ●  LinkedIn has a strict policy against spam. This means that automated tools that scrape or collect data from your contacts can be a legal issue. Also, if you’re sending out all connection requests at the same time, this raises red flags. This can result in your account being blocked or suspended.

    ●  You should use a tool that allows you to set parameters. This will make sure that your account is not spamming. You can also choose a tool that uses a dedicated IP, which makes it harder to be blocked. You can also try to use a cloud-based tool to minimize risks. Some of the more advanced tools allow you to integrate your automation with your LinkedIn account. You can also find tools that offer smart search options.

    ●  LinkedIn uses an algorithm to detect suspicious activities. If you’re found to be spamming, your account can be suspended or blocked. This can damage your online presence and can even lead to jail. If you get banned, you will not be able to use your account again. It’s important to keep in mind that the algorithms are constantly changing, so make sure you use the best tools to ensure you’re keeping up.

    ●  You should always read the terms of service before you use any tool on LinkedIn. There are a lot of different dos and don’ts to follow. You want to be careful when automating your account, but if you’re doing it properly, you should be able to avoid any problems.

    ●  You should only use LinkedIn automation if you’re doing it for professional reasons. For example, if you’re a salesperson, it’s a good idea to use a tool that is specifically designed for salespeople. This will help you to generate leads and build a reputation, without wasting any of your time. It’s also an easy way to increase your presence on the platform.

    The Functions of A LinkedIn Automation Security System

    Having a LinkedIn automation security system in place can be a great way to keep your data safe. There are several ways to do this, including monitoring and controlling your accounts and limiting your use of them.

    Monitor

    To get the most out of your LinkedIn automation best practices you will need to devote some time to planning, implementing, and tracking your efforts. The best way to ensure you achieve your LinkedIn goals is to set up a workflow and tracking system that will allow you to monitor and manage your efforts in real-time.

    Stay Within Usage Limits

    Using automation on LinkedIn can be a good way to maximize your reach, but you need to make sure you stay within usage limits. If you go beyond your limit, you may be blocked from the site. There are some things you can do to help prevent this from happening.

    First, you need to look for a tool that allows you to set your usage limits. This will help you avoid flagging your account, and allow you to measure your success. The next step is to decide whether you want to be public or private when you use the tool.

    You should also keep in mind that your messages should be personalized. This will make them appear more like real conversations. It will help you build rapport with your prospect, and it will also improve the safety of your messages on LinkedIn.

    Avoid Human Behavior

    Using LinkedIn automation security measures can be the difference between being able to get the most out of your LinkedIn account or being relegated to a dark corner. You’ll have to choose the right tools for your account, stay within usage limits, and follow the proper safety guidelines. Otherwise, you could face a ban from the platform.

    The first thing you should do is research various LinkedIn automation tools. Look for ones with a good reputation. They are often able to stay in the system without getting flagged. You can also find a tool that has a limit on the number of connections you can make in a day. These tools help you build a profile with maximum efficiency.

    You can also consider cloud-based LinkedIn automation solutions. These systems don’t inject code into the platform, but they simulate human behavior. They offer multiple-account management systems and inboxes. These vendors are considered safer than those who sell Chrome extensions.

    Lastly

    Using an automated tool to execute a security playbook in a timely occurrence is an admirable feat in and of itself. The best part is that these eds have the right people at the right time and the right technology to boot. Using the aforementioned technologies in tandem with the aforementioned sysadmins will put you on the fast track to digital security success.

  • LinkedIn Prevails Against hiQ in Website Scraping Lawsuit

    LinkedIn Prevails Against hiQ in Website Scraping Lawsuit

    LinkedIn has won its lawsuit against hiQ over the latter’s practice of scraping data from LinkedIn’s website against the company’s User Agreement.

    LinkedIn’s User Agreement prohibits companies from scraping personal data, using scraped data, and creating fake accounts. Scraping data refers to the process of collecting information from websites, most often using automated methods, bots, and scripts. For years, hiQ ignored those terms and collected LinkedIn user data, leading to the lawsuit.

    Sarah Wight, VP, Legal – Litigation, Competition, and Enforcement at LinkedIn, shared news of the win in a post on the site:

    Today in the hiQ legal proceeding, the Court announced a significant win for LinkedIn and our members against personal data scraping, among other platform abuses. The Court ruled that LinkedIn’s User Agreement unambiguously prohibits scraping and the unauthorized use of scraped data as well as fake accounts, affirming LinkedIn’s legal positions against hiQ for the past six years. The Court also found that hiQ knew for years that its actions violated our User Agreement, and that LinkedIn is entitled to move forward with its claim that hiQ violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

    According to AdWeek, Judge Edward Chen said hiQ “experimented and attempted to reverse engineer LinkedIn’s systems and to avoid detection by simulating human site-access behaviors. hiQ also hired independent contractors known as ‘turkers’ to conduct quality assurance while ‘logged-in’ to LinkedIn by viewing and confirming hiQ customers’ employees’ identities manually.”

    The ruling is good news for LinkedIn, as well as its users, and goes a long way toward protecting platforms and their users from unauthorized use. The ruling continues a precedent set when LinkedIn won a similar case against Mantheos, also over data scraping.

    The type of behavior hiQ was found guilty of is not uncommon in the tech world. Another infamous example is Clearview AI, a company that built a facial recognition database by scraping some of the most popular websites in the world, including top social media platforms. The victim companies and websites have consistently maintained that Clearview’s actions go against their terms and user agreements. With LinkedIn winning both of its cases, companies like Clearview may — thankfully — have a short lifespan.

  • Oracle Laying Off More Employees

    Oracle Laying Off More Employees

    Oracle is laying off additional employees just months after a round of layoffs led to “complete chaos.”

    Companies large and small have been slashing spending, freezing hiring, and laying off workers amid the worst economic downturn in years. Oracle is among those companies, engaging in another round of layoffs, according to Business Insider.

    Unlike its previous round of layoffs, this round is unannounced. As a result, there’s no indication how many employees will ultimately be impacted. Some employees are reportedly being told they have until October 31 to secure a new role within the company, while others are being told their employee will be terminated the following Monday.

    Jeremiah Cundiff, Cloud Technology Consultant at Oracle, is one such employee that appears to be in the latter group. Cundiff posted the news on LinkedIn:

    There have been posts regarding #layoffs at #oracle. Unfortunately I got my call this morning that I’ve been included. I aim to remain in tech sales either in business development or as an account executive.

    Insider attributes the layoffs to Oracle’s efforts to trim costs following its $28.3 billion purchase of medical records company Cerner.

  • Patreon Just Let Its Entire Security Team Go [Updated]

    Patreon Just Let Its Entire Security Team Go [Updated]

    Update: Story has been updated with a response from Patreon.

    Patreon may have just put a massive target on its back with the news that it has reportedly laid off its entire security team.

    Patreon is the funding platform that many content creators use to support themselves. The platform gives creators a way to build a community around the content they offer and gives fans the ability to become “patrons” of their favorite creators. Unfortunately, especially for a company that handles so much financial information, Patreon appears to have laid off its security team.

    Emily Metcalfe, Patreon Senior Security Engineer, broke the news in a LinkedIn post:

    So for better or worse, I and the rest of the Patreon Security Team are no longer with the company. As a result I’m looking for a new Security or Privacy Engineering role and would appreciate any connections, advice, or job opportunities from folks in my network.

    Ellen Satterwhite, Patreon’s Interim Head of Communications & US Policy Lead, reached out to WPN to provide some clarity on the company’s decision and reassure users that it will remain a safe and secure platform:

    As a global platform, we will always prioritize the security of our creators’ and customers’ data. As part of a strategic shift of a portion of our security program, we have parted ways with five employees. We also partner with a number of external organizations to continuously develop our security capabilities and conduct regular security assessments to ensure we meet or exceed the highest industry standards. The changes made this week will have no impact on our ability to continue providing a secure and safe platform for our creators and patrons.

    Only time will tell if Patreon’s reliance on “external organizations” will be enough to maintain the security its users rely on. Even with its external partnerships, however, it’s hard to imagine a company of Patreon’s significance letting its own internal security team go.

  • Dan Price: ‘Only American Workers Made to Feel Guilty for PTO’

    Dan Price: ‘Only American Workers Made to Feel Guilty for PTO’

    Gravity Payments CEO Dan Price has some strong words for the American workplace, saying it’s unique in making workers feel bad for paid time off.

    Virtually everyone has received an email auto-response explaining the person will be out of the office for X number of days for health reasons, maternity leave, paternity leave, family responsibilities, or a host of other reasons. Price makes the case that the explanations are unnecessary and indicative of a bigger issue.

    “Only in America are workers made to feel so guilty that they have to ‘apologize for the late response’ and put an excuse for why they’re out,” writes Price in a LinkedIn post. “If you need to, direct people to a coworker or team that can help while you’re gone. Don’t check your email unless you want to diminish the benefits of your time off.

    “Time off is a benefit you earned,” Price adds. “Use it all, unapologetically. Sick but work from home? Take the time off. Don’t have anywhere to go but feel burned out? Take the time off. Just need a random mental health day to chill on the couch? Take the time off.”

    Price goes on to make the case that bosses don’t need to know why an employee is taking time off and shouldn’t ask. He says bosses also shouldn’t expect to be able to reach their employees during PTO.

    “I heard recently about someone who always tells their boss ‘I’m camping’ when they go on PTO so they’d know he had no service,” Price continues. “This is the result of a toxic culture that assumes people exist only to work, and are not whole people with full, rich lives.”

    Price is famous for the progressive way he treats employees, lowering his salary to $70,000 while raising his employees’ minimum salary to match in 2015. Since then, he has continued to be a vocal advocate for fair treatment and pay of employees and a critic of the status quo where executives often make hundreds of times the amount as their employees.

    Price has also been a proponent of letting employees work from wherever they want, saying: “If you get your work done, that’s all that matters.”

  • ‘LinkedIn’ Search Interest Skyrockets 172% in the Last Decade

    ‘LinkedIn’ Search Interest Skyrockets 172% in the Last Decade

    Interest in LinkedIn has skyrocketed over the last decade, with searches for the networking platform increasing by more than 172%.

    The latest data comes from StockApps, which analyzed search traffic for LinkedIn from 2010 to 2022. The company found that, as of May 2022, LinkedIn was bringing in nearly 1.5 billion unique global visitors, as opposed to 1.3 billion in November 2021. What’s more, searches for “LinkedIn” have increased more than 172% in the last ten years.

    “LinkedIn has become a staple for anyone who wants to build their brand,” writes StockApps Financial analyst Edith Reads. “That reality is evident in the growing interest by professionals seeking to share skills and opportunities. In addition, its Google search interest has grown to 79 from 29 ten years ago, underscoring the platform’s growing significance in connecting people.”

    StockApps data confirms what WebProNews wrote about Friday when data from SeekingAlpha was released indicating that LinkedIn is a major growth driver for Microsoft. The data showed that LinkedIn has consistently delivered a stable average of ARPU growth of 23%.

    Meanwhile, LinkedIn also delivers 277% better lead generation than Facebook or Twitter. Similarly, the platform provides 12.84x higher cost-per-click than Twitter and 4.4x higher than Facebook.

    One thing is clear: LinkedIn is not only a major growth driver for Microsoft, but as Reads points out, the platform is a critical component to any company building its brand.

  • LinkedIn Is a Major Growth Driver for Microsoft

    LinkedIn Is a Major Growth Driver for Microsoft

    LinkedIn is shaping up to be one of Microsoft’s best growth drivers six years after purchasing it.

    LinkedIn is the professional networking site Microsoft purchased in 2016 for more than $26 billion. The platform provides a way for professionals to connect with others in their field, search for jobs, post articles, and more. Microsoft has continued investing in the platform and integrating it with its other tools and services. The company’s strategy is paying off, with a report from Seeking Alpha revealing that LinkedIn is now one of Microsoft’s biggest growth drivers.

    LinkedIn is part of Microsoft’s Business & Productivity segment, which is already seeing massive growth.

    We looked further into the company’s growth driven by the Business & Productivity segment (comprised of Office Products, LinkedIn and Dynamics). This major segment makes up 32.1% of its total revenue in 2021.

    According to Seeking Alpha, despite having a smaller portion of the social networking market, LinkedIn is punching above its weight class in terms of the value it generates:

    While LinkedIn only represents a small percentage at 11% of the selected Social Networking Sites’ total users which is dominated by Facebook (META) followed by Twitter (TWTR) and Reddit, LinkedIn stands out as a multi-sided platform combining social media with the recruiting platform. Compared to Facebook and Instagram, which has a higher growth rate in terms of average revenue per user, LinkedIn had a stable average ARPU growth of 23% since 2017.

    LinkedIn’s value to Microsoft is also driven by the results it delivers, providing 4.4x higher cost-per-click than Facebook, 12.84x higher than Twitter, and 0.48x higher than Instagram. Similarly, is 277% more effective at lead generation than Facebook and Twitter.

    Thus, we forecasted its growth based on its 5-year average user growth rate of 11% and ARPU growth of 10.8%. All in all, we projected LinkedIn’s revenues to grow at an average rate of 22.9% annually through 2024 as it attracts more users and monetizes its user base.

    Seeking Alpha’s report is good news for LinkedIn and Microsoft and shows the latter knew exactly what it was doing when it bought the networking site.

  • LinkedIn: Amazon Is the Top Place to Work

    LinkedIn: Amazon Is the Top Place to Work

    Amazon may draw scrutiny for its anti-union efforts on a regular basis, but that hasn’t stopped the company from earning LinkedIn’s top choice for workplace.

    LinkedIn analyzed 50 companies that are known for investing in their personnel, providing perks, and generally fostering a good place for people to build a career. Amazon came out on top, thanks to a variety of different factors, not the least of which is pay increases:

    The company recently announced that it’s doubling its maximum base salary for corporate and tech workers, and it raised average wages for warehouse workers late last year, increasing pay for more than half a million of its employees.

    In addition to base pay, Amazon is spending $1.2 billion over the next three years to provide additional education and skills training options for employees, and is also paying 100% of college tuition costs for frontline employees. The company will also pay for high school diploma and GED programs, as well as English proficiency certifications.

    With 1.6 million employees worldwide, and 1.1 million in the US alone, Amazon has established itself as one of the workforce leaders, in both size and benefits to the employee.

  • Better.com Executive Exit Continues Over Vishal Garg’s Return

    Better.com Executive Exit Continues Over Vishal Garg’s Return

    Better.com’s board of directors may have welcomed back CEO Vishal Garg, but his return has caused even more top execs to leave.

    Garg became infamous for laying off 900 employees simultaneously in a single mass Zoom call. The move was widely panned by employees, critics, and the company’s own executives, several of whom resigned in protest.

    Garg tried to apologize, but his apology did little put out the fire. He eventually agreed to a leave of absence, but the board announced his return little more than a month later. When announcing his return, the board said it was “confident in Vishal and in the changes he is committed to making to provide the type of leadership, focus and vision that Better needs at this pivotal time.”

    It would seem at least some execs don’t share the board’s vote of confidence. Sarah Pierce, EVP, Customer Experience, Sales and Operations, as well as Emanual Santa-Donato, SVP, Capital Markets and Growth, have both left the company.

    Pierce posted the following message to LinkedIn:

    Yesterday was my last day at Better.com.

    To the current and past employees at Better, I want to say how grateful I am for our time together.

    Throughout my time, I would always get asked “what keeps you at Better?” From my first day to my last, my answer never changed: the people. For 6 years, I got to work with some of the smartest and hardest working people I have ever met.

    To my colleagues at Better, I will miss you. And to the people who have left Better — it has been so inspiring to see the unbelievable steps you are taking in your careers and amazing companies you are joining.

    To my extended Better family, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. Don’t be a stranger!

    Santa-Donato has not yet posted anything about his leaving, although he did post two months ago that he wanted to assist those who were laid off to find new jobs.

  • Intel’s CEO: ‘AMD In the Rearview Mirror…Never Again In the Windshield’

    Intel’s CEO: ‘AMD In the Rearview Mirror…Never Again In the Windshield’

    Intel’s CEO Pat Gelsinger released a video on LinkedIn welcoming the new year, and took the opportunity to take a major swipe at rival AMD.

    Intel has had a rough few years, with the company losing its once undisputed dominance in the semiconductor industry. TSMC is now the world’s largest chipmaker, and AMD has released a steady stream of competitive chips — in the form of its Ryzen line — that have challenged Intel across its various markets. The company has seen some high-profile defections among its customers, thanks to the performance and efficiency of AMD’s latest designs.

    According to Gelsinger, however, those days are in the past, thanks to Intel’s Alder Lake line of chips.

    “Alder Lake, all of sudden, boom! We are back in the game! AMD in the rearview mirror in clients, and never again will they be in the windshield,” Gelsinger said.

    A number of the commenters who responded to Gelsinger’s post were quick to point out that Intel is still technologically behind AMD. While Intel has barely made the move to 10nm processors, AMD is already on 7nm, and will soon move to 4nm.

    Benjamin Banks, a self-processed “Linux nerd,” wrote:

    Intel launched a 10nm processor in November 2021, 364 days after AMD launched their 7nm chip, and somehow you claim superiority? Intel’s arrogance is staggering. AMD are about to launch a 4nm chip, while still Intel lags behind in what can only be described as a legacy manufacturing process.

    Patryk Jarosz, Information Technology Technical Specialist at IKEA, voiced similar sentiments:

    It also speaks volumes how they claim superiority with much newer product… Lets see how this stands up to whatever AMD will bring out in few months, shall we? 

    There’s no doubt Gelsinger is in the process of turning Intel around and helping it get back on track. As many of the comments point out, however, the company still has a long way to go before AMD is truly in the rearview — if that scenario is even still possible.

  • Yahoo the Latest US Company to Pull Out of China

    Yahoo the Latest US Company to Pull Out of China

    Yahoo is the latest US company pulling out of China, citing an “increasingly challenging business and legal environment.”

    China has been cracking down on the tech industry and making it difficult for foreign companies to compete. The country also has a long history of internet censorship. As a result, a number of high-profile companies have announced plans to leave the market, including LinkedIn and Epic.

    According to Associated Press, Yahoo has now joined their ranks and announced it will no longer offer services in mainland China beginning November 1.

    “Yahoo remains committed to the rights of our users and a free and open internet. We thank our users for their support,” the statement read.

  • Microsoft Shutting Down LinkedIn China Due to Beijing Tech Crackdown

    Microsoft Shutting Down LinkedIn China Due to Beijing Tech Crackdown

    Microsoft has announced it is shutting down LinkedIn in China as Beijing continues its crackdown on tech companies.

    LinkedIn is one of the leading job search and professional networking platforms. Mohak Shroff, Senior Vice President of Engineering at LinkedIn, says the company initially decided to make a version of LinkedIn available in China, despite the challenges of adhering to Beijing regulation.

    The company also set guidelines it would use to reevaluate the situation as needed. Such a situation has now occurred, leading the company to sunset its localized version.

    We’re also facing a significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements in China. Given this, we’ve made the decision to sunset the current localized version of LinkedIn, which is how people in China access LinkedIn’s global social media platform, later this year.

    LinkedIn still wants to help serve the China job market, and intends to release a standalone jobs app later this year.

    Later this year, we will launch InJobs, a new, standalone jobs application for China. InJobs will not include a social feed or the ability to share posts or articles. We will also continue to work with Chinese businesses to help them create economic opportunity.

  • Study Shows Android Has Serious Privacy Issues, Snoops on Users

    Study Shows Android Has Serious Privacy Issues, Snoops on Users

    A new study is showing just how much Android snoops on its users, transmitting large quantities of data to third-parties and Google.

    In the age-old iOS vs Android debate, the common argument against Android is the perceived lack of privacy. A team of researchers at the University of Edinburgh and Trinity College Dublin attempted to get to the bottom of the situation, and their findings were disturbing, to say the least.

    The researchers looked phones made by Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi and Realme. They also looked at two forks of the Android OS, LineageOS and /e/OS. At its heart, Android is an open source OS where anyone is free to modify it for their own uses, just as Google does. LineageOS and /e/OS are two such forks that place an emphasis on privacy by “de-Googling” the OS.

    The researchers found that, with one exception, all flavors of Android transmitted substantial data to Google. Even worse, they also transmitted data to third-party companies, including Facebook.

    We find that, with the notable exception of e/OS, even when minimally configured and the handset is idle these vendor-customized Android variants transmit substantial amounts of information to the OS developer and also to third-parties (Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Facebook etc) that have pre-installed system apps. While occasional communication with OS servers is to be expected, the observed data transmission goes well beyond this and raises a number of privacy concerns.

    Here’s a detailed list of the information being sent:

    Table of Android Data Sharing - Credit University of Edinburgh & Trinity College Dublin
    Table of Android Data Sharing – Credit University of Edinburgh & Trinity College Dublin

    The researchers also expressed concern about the possibility of companies being able to cross-link data in an effort to build a more comprehensive profile of the user.

    We find that typically multiple parties collect data from a handset. For example, on a Samsung handset Samsung, Google and Microsoft/LinkedIn all collect data. That raises the question of whether the data collected separately by these parties can be linked together (and of course combined with data from other sources). While we are not in a position to know whether such linking actually takes place, by inspection of the identifiers jointly collected by the parties we can see whether the potential exists for data linking.

    Potential for Android Data Cross-Linking - Credit University of Edinburgh & Trinity College Dublin
    Potential for Android Data Cross-Linking – Credit University of Edinburgh & Trinity College Dublin

    Overall, the researchers said the current situation raises serious concerns about the privacy Android offers — or doesn’t.

    We present an in-depth analysis of the data sent by the Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, Realme, LineageOS and /e/OS variants of Android. We find that, with the notable exception of e/OS, even when minimally configured and the handset is idle these vendor-customized Android variants transmit substantial amounts of information to the OS developer and also to third-parties (Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Facebook etc) that have pre-installed system apps. While occasional communication with OS servers is to be expected, the observed data transmission goes well beyond this and raises a number of privacy concerns.

    Google has been working to improve its image as a company that respects its users’ privacy. Creating an OS that serves to vacuum up large quantities of user data — and then sends that data to itself and third-parties companies — falls far short of what the company promises and what users deserve.

  • LinkedIn Killing Stories, Revamping Videos

    LinkedIn Killing Stories, Revamping Videos

    LinkedIn is killing off its ephemeral Stories features but plans to use what it learned to improve videos across its platform.

    LinkedIn introduced Stories last year as a way for professionals to share short videos that would disappear after 24 hours. Liz Li, Senior Director of Product at LinkedIn, says the company was surprised to learn that some people wanted their videos to have more permanence than Stories provides.

    You wish videos could live on your profile, not disappear. In developing Stories, we assumed people wouldn’t want informal videos attached to their profile, and that ephemerality would reduce barriers that people feel about posting. Turns out, you want to create lasting videos that tell your professional story in a more personal way and that showcase both your personality and expertise. 

    Feedback also indicated that many users wanted tools to create more engaging videos.

    LinkedIn appears to be listening to the feedback and plans to kill off Stories by the end of September. The company will then take the feedback and lessons its learned, and roll them into a new and improved video experience.

    We’ve learned a ton. Now, we’re taking those learnings to evolve the Stories format into a reimagined video experience across LinkedIn that’s even richer and more conversational. We want to embrace mixed media and creative tools of Stories in a consistent way across our platform, while working to integrate it more tightly with your professional identity.

  • Data for 700 Million LinkedIn Users for Sale Online

    Data for 700 Million LinkedIn Users for Sale Online

    Data for some 700 million LinkedIn users is for sale online, just two months after another major dataset was up for sale.

    According to LinkedIn, the platform has some 756 million members. As a result, the latest dataset represents roughly 92% of all users. The hacker selling the information says an API was exploited to harvest the data, according to RestorePrivacy.

    LinkedIn has responded, saying the information was scraped, and that no data breach occurred.

    Our teams have investigated a set of alleged LinkedIn data that has been posted for sale. We want to be clear that this is not a data breach and no private LinkedIn member data was exposed. Our initial investigation has found that this data was scraped from LinkedIn and other various websites and includes the same data reported earlier this year in our April 2021 scraping update.

    The data includes a significant amount of information, including LinkedIn usernames, full names, email addresses, phone numbers, physical addresses, gender, experience and background, geolocation records and social media accounts/usernames.

    Regardless of how the data was collected, the implications are enormous with 92% of LinkedIn users now vulnerable to spam campaigns and identity theft.

  • Supreme Court Gives LinkedIn Another Chance to Shield Data

    Supreme Court Gives LinkedIn Another Chance to Shield Data

    The U.S. Supreme is giving LinkedIn another chance to prevent its user data from being harvested, in a case with far-reaching implications.

    A company called hiQ Labs Inc was harvesting data from LinkedIn’s site, including the personal data from users’ professional profiles. LinkedIn demanded hiQ stop scraping its data in 2017 but hiQ sued, accusing LinkedIn of anticompetitive behavior.

    A lower court had ruled that LinkedIn could not stop hiQ from scraping the data, despite LinkedIn arguing that hiQ was scraping far more than any human could. In addition, LinkedIn accused hiQ of selling some of the data.

    The Supreme Court has given LinkedIn another chance, sending the case back the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, according to Reuters. At the heart of the issue is whether the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act applies to cases such as these, preventing companies from scraping data from competitors.

    The Supreme Court wants the lower court to reexamine its decision in light of its recent decision involving the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, limiting the scope of crimes that can be prosecuted under the law.

    However the courts rule, the case has profound implications for the future of the internet, as it will help determine who controls publicly available information, and whether third-party companies can profit from it without permission.

  • Gartner: AI Will Replace ‘Gut Feel’ in Venture Capitalist Decisions by 2025

    Gartner: AI Will Replace ‘Gut Feel’ in Venture Capitalist Decisions by 2025

    Gartner predicts that artificial intelligence (AI) will replace “gut feel” in influencing investment decisions by venture capitalists and early-stage investors.

    Venture capitalists have long relied on a mysterious combination of data, KPIs and gut feeling to select which companies to invest in. According to Gartner, however, AI is poised to replace the ever-elusive gut feeling some 75% of investors.

    “Successful investors are purported to have a good ‘gut feel’ — the ability to make sound financial decisions from mostly qualitative information alongside the quantitative data provided by the technology company,” said Patrick Stakenas, senior research director at Gartner. “However, this ‘impossible to quantify inner voice’ grown from personal experience is decreasingly playing a role in investment decision making. The traditional pitch experience will significantly shift by 2025 and tech CEOs will need to face investors with AI-enabled models and simulations as traditional pitch decks and financials will be insufficient.”

    By 2025, AI will help investors transition to a quantitative process based on advanced analytics. Information will be gathered from a variety of sources, including Crunchbase, LinkedIn, Owler, PitchBook and others. This data can then be used by AI to assess a company’s viability.

    “This data is increasingly being used to build sophisticated models that can better determine the viability, strategy and potential outcome of an investment in a short amount of time. Questions such as when to invest, where to invest and how much to invest are becoming almost automated,” said Mr. Stakenas.

  • Roku Looks to Expand Into Original Content

    Roku Looks to Expand Into Original Content

    Roku is expanding into original content, moving beyond merely streaming content, according to a recent job listing.

    Roku has been manufacturing digital media players for over a decade. The company’s software also serves as the basis for a number of smart TVs, and Roku has its own channel where it plays licensed content.

    Many streaming services, however, have been expanding aggressively into original content. Netflix, Hulu and Apple TV+ have all seen significant success producing their own shows and movies, and Roku apparently wants in on the action.

    In a job posting on LinkedIn, the company is looking for “a Lead Production Attorney to work on its expanding slate of original content. The position reports directly to Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs, Programming & Distribution.”

    There is little additional information on Roku’s plans, but the company did purchase Quibi’s content library when that service shuttered. Hiring a Lead Production Attorney is the next logical step, putting the pieces in place to capitalize on its purchase.