LinkedIn Updates Terms of Service to Cover Expanded AI and Ad Targeting Use
LinkedIn is updating its Terms of Service to cover more ad personalization elements (via data sharing with parent company Microsoft), and enable additional AI processing of user data.
Which sounds potentially questionable, but is also fairly standard for the current environment.
The updated LinkedIn terms, which come into effect on November 3rd, include the following updates:
On ad personalization and data usage, LinkedIn is expanding the types of data that it shares with Microsoft.
As per LinkedIn:
“Starting November 3, 2025, we will share additional data about members in your region with our Affiliate Microsoft so that the Microsoft family of companies can show you more personalized and relevant ads. This data may include your LinkedIn profile data, feed activity data, and ad engagement data; it does not include any data that your settings do not allow LinkedIn to use for ad purposes.”
So LinkedIn will be looking to help Microsoft target its own promotions, by providing it with “non-identifying” LinkedIn usage notes.
Which you can opt out of, but LinkedIn also explains that:
“Whatever you choose, you will still see ads shown by Microsoft, but they will not be personalized with your LinkedIn data.”
So probably not a major concern, as it relates to content promotions, but it does mean that you’ll be allowing LinkedIn to share info on your engagement behavior with another company.
Though you can opt out of such if you choose.
“To opt-out of Microsoft uses of LinkedIn data if it was shared, subject to the Data sharing setting, please visit Microsoft account/Privacy.”
So if you don’t opt out, you may see more relevant ads for Microsoft products, across various platforms, based on your LinkedIn activity and info.
The update is only relevant users outside the EU region.
For regions outside the U.S., LinkedIn’s also adding more clauses around the use of your data for AI training:
“Starting on November 3, 2025, we’ll start to use some data from members in [EEA, Hong Kong, Canada, Switzerland and the U.K.] to train content-generating AI models that enhance your experience and better connect our members to opportunities. Our GenAI features can help hirers find and reach you more easily, and assist members in creating content such as profile updates, messages, and posts. This may include data like details from your profile, and public content you post on LinkedIn; it does not include your private messages.”
The specifics here do vary slightly by region, so if this is a concern to you, it’s worth checking out the details for your market. But essentially, LinkedIn’s looking to incorporate more member data into its AI models, to generate more accurate, indicative generations via its AI tools.
Also worth noting:
“LinkedIn’s Data for Generative AI Improvement member setting is set to “on” by default, unless you opt-out by turning it ‘off.’ Turning the setting off means that we (LinkedIn and our affiliates) won’t use the data and content you provided to LinkedIn to train models that generate content going forward.”
Most of this seems like fairly standard legal documentation around expanded data usage, and none of these data uses seem overly nefarious or risky. But given that LinkedIn is made up of professional and career info, some users may be sensitive around such, and may look to opt out as a result.
LinkedIn says that by continuing to use the app, you’ll be accepting these new terms as of the relevant activation dates.
You can read more about LinkedIn’s latest updates here.
Originally published at Social Media Today