LinkedIn Updates Terms of Service on Data Usage for AI Training and Advertising

Androbranch NEWS
Sep 20
3 min read

What you need to Know

LinkedIn will update its terms of service starting November 3, 2025.
In the EU, UK, Switzerland, Canada, and Hong Kong, user profile information and public posts will be used to train generative AI models.
Shared data includes profile details, feed activity, and ad engagement metrics.
Users can opt out of expanded Microsoft data sharing through privacy preferences.
All LinkedIn members are advised to review and update their privacy settings before November 3, 2025.

LinkedIn has formally released major updates to its Terms of Service on how user information will be gathered, utilized, and disseminated. These updates will go into effect beginning November 3, 2025, and will affect millions of professionals globally. The action is an extension of LinkedIn's efforts to improve its platform by adding generative AI capabilities as well as increasing data-sharing with its owner, Microsoft. Yet the action also brings new questions regarding data privacy as well as user authority.

Data Use to Train AI in Some Countries

Starting November 3, 2025, LinkedIn will begin applying user data like profile details and public posts to train generative AI models for users in the European Union, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Hong Kong. Notably, private messages will continue to be exempt from AI training so that sensitive conversations are not utilized in any capacity.

Generative AI learned from this data will be able to generate more intelligent, more personalized content on LinkedIn. For instance, it can assist in enhancing features such as job suggestions, professional tips, or AI-assisted writing tools accessible to members. Significantly, this AI data usage policy was already implemented in other regions outside the above-named areas, but now LinkedIn is officially extending it to these territories as well.

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Opt-Out Options for Users

One of the most important aspects of the update is that LinkedIn users in the impacted areas will have complete control over usage of their data for training AI. Members can go to their account settings at any time and opt out of having their public posts and profile information used for training generative AI models. This means privacy-sensitive professionals can protect their information and continue to use LinkedIn as usual.

Increased Data Sharing with Microsoft Outside Certain Regions

For non-EU, UK, Switzerland, Canadian, and Hong Kong LinkedIn members, the platform is making a different adjustment. From November 3, 2025, LinkedIn will begin sharing more user data with Microsoft. This entails:

LinkedIn profile details
User activity within feeds
Engagement with ads

The aim of this extended data sharing is to enable more customized advertising experiences across Microsoft services. In effect, Microsoft will use LinkedIn's huge professional network insights to target more relevant ads to individual users' careers, industries, and interests.

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User Control Over Advertising Data

Similar to how AI training is being opted out of by LinkedIn users, the platform is also providing users with the ability to decline extended data sharing with Microsoft. This option can be controlled directly on their privacy settings. Through these settings, users are able to determine if they would like to be shown hyper-personalized ads or restrict Microsoft from seeing their LinkedIn activity data.

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Why Users Should Review Settings Before November 3

As the effective date draws near, all of LinkedIn is encouraged to go through and update their privacy settings. If you are worried about your profile being used to train AI models, or worried about your data being sent to Microsoft for advertisements, LinkedIn is ensuring that the decision is in your hands.

Spending only a few minutes to refresh your account gives you total control over your professional online presence. As generative AI and personal ads take centre stage in LinkedIn's strategy, this refresh sends the message about how social networks evolve in 2025 and also raises the significance of user privacy.

LinkedIn's recent update to its Terms of Service highlights the balancing act between innovation and data privacy. Using profile data and public updates for AI training and increasing advertising data sharing with Microsoft, LinkedIn is inching toward a more AI-driven, personalized experience. Yet having opt-out options available means that professionals are able to pick and choose how much data gets shared.

As November 3, 2025, approaches, it is imperative for LinkedIn members globally to be aware and be in control of their data usage settings.