BrowserGate: LinkedIn/Microsoft allegedly scans 6,000+ browser extensions & links them to real identities, all without user consent
A new investigation, dubbed BrowserGate, claims that LinkedIn (Microsoft) is quietly running hidden JavaScript on linkedin.com that probes usersβ browsers for installed extensions - over 6,000 of them, all without consent and transmits that data back to LinkedIn & third parties. Researchers argue this isnβt just passive fingerprinting because users are logged in with real names, employers & roles, the data can be tied directly to identifiable people and used to infer sensitive info like jobβsearch status, political/religious interests, healthβrelated tools, or corporate tooling usage.
The report also highlights potential GDPR and privacyβlaw issues, and the detections reportedly include both competitor tools and personalβinterest extensions. LinkedIn has not publicly refuted the core claim. More details with technical details, sources etc in the linked article.
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