A Box You Want to Uncheck on LinkedIn
August 10, 2011 397 Comments
[See UPDATE below!]
Apparently, LinkedIn has recently done us the “favor” of having a default setting whereby our names and photos can be used for third-party advertising. A friend forwarded me this alert (from a friend, from a friend…) this morning.
Devious. And I expect that you, like me, don’t want to participate.
This graphic shows you how to Uncheck The Box (click to biggify):
1. Click on your name on your LinkedIn homepage (upper right corner). On the drop-down menu, select “Settings”.
2. From the “Settings” page, select “Account*”.
3. In the column next to “Account”, click “Manage Social Advertising” .
4. De-select the box next to “LinkedIn may use my name, photo in social advertising” .
Nice try, LinkedIn. But, no thanks!
*UPDATE: After you finish with Account, check the new default settings under E-mail Preferences (such as Partner InMails); and Groups, Companies & Applications (such as Data Sharing with 3rd-party applications). It’s a Facebook deja vu!
Follow-up Post: LinkedIn, Privacy, and Notification – Let’s Discuss!
UPDATE: In the midst of negative user reaction and a growing media firestorm, LinkedIn has decided to make a change in the policy. That’s a step in the right direction!
UPDATE: LinkedIn Listens, Reconsiders
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Wow, it indeed feels like Facebook all over again. Thanks for the tips.
Me the same, not even aware of this before, thanks for the advice 🙂
Another thing to uncheck:
In the “Groups, Companies, & Applications” tab of the settings page, under “Privacy Controls” — click “Turn on/off data sharing with 3rd party applications” and uncheck the box allowing them to share your data with 3rd party applications.
Thanks for this tip too SisterMable. What does this one actually do if left checked. ?
Thanks!
So much for a safe, professional and trustful networking site!
Thank for the heads up on that as well.
Thanks a million.Facebook, here we go again
thanks for the heads up!
If this is going to go Facebook style, I may have to rethink my “membership”.
cheers!
thanks for both tips. much appreciated.
I also suggest hammering LinkedIn with feedback how unhappy we are.
I think that LinkedIn has already backtracked on this. Some people like the attention and might want their names to show up in ads, but I think that most people there are cognizant of maintaining their professional brand and would not want to be associated with ads. People expect social networks to get more commercialized as time goes on and you can see the number of businesses emerging based around Facebook for example at http://www.buyfacebookfansreviews.com but I thought that LinkedIn would wisely be more immune to this temptation. To me, it feels like LinkedIn is squandering what little goodwill they’ve built up and this action speaks ill to their long term success. In the short run, this might boost profits, but might compel people to look elsewhere as well and cause problems in the long run.
arghhh… i agree…
sneaky sneaky sneaky…
greedy greedy greedy…
= cant stand facebook anymore [& definitely dislike ol’ zuck]
… but now linkedin !?
why can’t more people be legitimate … like craig newmark!?
craigslist.org = not sneaky. in fact… its the same as the day he launched it more or less… sans monetization! *gasp*… okay… i’m done.
cheers much appreciated!!!!
Shocking. Doing it now. And yes, total Facebook flashback. You think LinkedIn would learn from the mistakes of others, wouldn’t you?
They certainly got us to log in to their site again…
Shameful form of retention, perhaps? -.-
Hate it when stuff like that gets by me, ugh. Just went and changed mine, too — wouldn’t have been able to find this setting without your screenshots, either. Thanks for a very useful post, Steve!
Thank you for this news, Steve.
Not cool, LinkedIn. Not cool.
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Thanks for the heads up. Low move, LinkedIn. Not cool.
Did an announcement go out on this? I missed any notification?
I’ve been wondering that myself, I don’t recall seeing one but I also tend to disregard a lot of notification-type emails.
A banner across the top of the page after login advises that by using LinkedIn you are agree to their -new- privacy policy
Great post — thanks for helping us all find the new setting.
Outrageous!! I expected this kind of chicanery from Facebook, but not LinkedIn. *sigh*
Thanks so much for this notification and tutorial! I’m sharing it immediately.
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I heard about through a message from a connection – I don’t know if LInkedIn ever announced it (why would THAT be a surprise?) Maybe once the IPO is done ideas like this seem like an OK move – methinks the rest of us don’t agree!
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I can’t see why it is so bad…
Do you want to be seen to be endorsing products you’ve never even heard of?
Except it’s *specifically not this*. It’s basically your news feed, but on the side of a page. From LinkedIn, what this means is:
“When LinkedIn members recommend people and services, follow companies, or take other actions, their name/photo may show up in related ads shown to you. Conversely, when you take these actions on LinkedIn, your name/photo may show up in related ads shown to LinkedIn members.”
Stop spreading FUD.
3 things come immediately to mind:
1. LinkedIn recently had an IPO.
2. YGWYPF
3. LinkedIn’s legal agreement with users.
You can connect the dots however you like…
Steve, thank you for an excellent and very useful post.
In a world where all the SM types are so big on “engagement” and “credibility because it’s tied to individuals,” you’d think people wouldn’t have a problem having their image or name next to a company or product that they have already endorsed or followed. Why be upset or outraged? If you cared enough to “like,” “endorse,” or promote a product or company, why would you care if that company used your name or image to do the same in a broader sense?
If anything, you’re spreading your name to other people and expanding your network enabling you to “engage” and “connect” with more people.
Because:
1- LinkedIn turned “on” this feature without the users’ explicit agreement, which is the equivalent of using their data (name, photo) without their consent, and that’s illegal; and,
2- just because a user endorses a product doesn’t mean that they also endorse their data being used for an advertising campaign they get zero revenue from.
Or, to put it simply, if they’re going to use my name and photo to advertise something, I’d want them to at least have the courtesy to ask me first, and maybe pay me for it too since other people are going to be making money from that campaign.
Zack – exactly!
Ditto!
1) Again, who cares if you’ve already endorsed that product or company? You’ve already publicly stated you like it. What’s wrong with them, in essence, retweeting that?
2) By endorsing or spreading the word of a product or company you’ve already advertised for them and did so without any incentive or hope of receiving revenue.
You’ve already advertised something for them, why do they need to ask you. If you tweet something on Twitter about a company, and they retweet it, they don’t ask you for permission, and you surely don’t get paid to do so. This is pretty much the same darned thing.
e-Zackly!
Ryan, Let’s say I sell fantastic gourmet products and I KNOW my customers think so because they buy them. In fact, not only that, but they constantly tell me that they love my products. Despite that, I would NEVER EVER dream of quoting (retweeting?) them without asking them if it was ok first… and so far it has always been OK and none of them have ever mentioned anything about any payments (some even say Asif, you go ahead and write whatever you want). But I always ask them first and if I write anything myself, I show it to them and ask them to approve it before i publish it.
Why do I do this? Well, call it courtesy or common decency… or maybe I’m just old fashioned.
This is where I draw the line of taking liberties.
Considering the size of LinkedIn and that they can’t just go and ask everyone personally if they would mind endorsing every thing previously ‘liked’ (or similar online approval), they instead go with the assumption that you wouldn’t mind being associated with that product and default the check box to ‘turned on’
It’s simple marketing – people are much less likely to seek that out and turn it ON, so if they turn it on for you, you can always opt out and turn it off. They are not forcing anything, they are running a business and making the best decisions, weighing the risks vs. benefits. And on this, the benefits outweigh the risks.
That said – not announcing it is kinda scummy, though i doubt they announce every little change, or if they do, we aren’t reading it. We wait for folks like Steve here to tell us the big news, which is good for Steve’s business. So, really, Steve should be pretty happy with this ‘issue’ LinkedIn has created 😉
Asif, I can see your point, but Twitter, sharing, Yelping, “like”ing, etc has changed how people look at forwarding of information. You, as an individual, have made a personal rule about how you “forward” or “re-tweet” or “quoting” (as you’ve said) what others say, but by no means is it required. The problem you’ll have with your line of thinking and self-imposed rule, is that these endorsements, statements, “Like,” and quotes are already public. Permission is not required nor should it be.
If a person makes a public statement in an interview, for example says, “I love Otis Spunkmeir (sp) chocolate chip cookies,” the good people at Otis don’t need to ask that person for permission to requote them. It’s already been made public. What LinkedIn is doing is no different than that.
Most people getting their panties in a bunch here probably didn’t even read the text next to the box they were so quick to uncheck:
“When LinkedIn members recommend people and services, follow companies, or take other actions, their name/photo may show up in related ads shown to you. Conversely, when you take these actions on LinkedIn, your name/photo may show up in related ads shown to LinkedIn members.”
The recommendation has already been made, you’ve already followed the company, or you’ve already taken action (albeit that’s a bit cryptic) to endorse a company or product PUBLICLY. So what if your image or name is used by LinkedIn or those companies to share that with your Connections. It’s no different than them retweeting you, or, like Facebook, showing others in your network that you’ve “like”d ABC company or XYZ celebrity.
Your self imposed rule has nothing to do with the real world or information that has already been made public. If you don’t have someone else sharing the fact that you’ve endorsed them publicly, then don’t endorse them.
Kate, you make a good point, but my retort about the scumminess would be that people have no issue with Facebook sharing with your network that you “Like” things including underneath an ad of a company that you’ve liked. This is no different.
DB – Numbskulls like you lose all credibility when you drop the statement, “I’m Just Sayin.” I don’t work for LinkedIn, don’t advertise with them either. A simple click on my name shows you my company and who I am, just like when I clicked on your name, Peg. People that typically make that douchebaggian statement can’t make a decent argument or counterpoint…I forgive you.
Absolutely, why shouldn’t you get a commission on a click if they’re using your pic or info. They are making money if someone clicks on your pic to check out the product.
Thanks for the info…now I have to check into the FB thing too as I am new to all this social networking, ugh.
I will be keeping an eye on your blog for sure, thanks again.
Anita
anitagreenthumb, what would you get paid? For this to work means you already endorsed the product or company for without any hope of compensation. You’re also using the service (in this case LinkedIn) for free. LinkedIn has clearly stated in it’s TOS, which you agreed to when you signed up, that they can use your name and likeness.
Further, as stated numerous times, this already occurs on Facebook and Twitter and no one complains. All of a sudden it’s taboo and evil, even though you already agreed to let them use your name and likeness when you first signed up?
Ryan, just out of curiosity, are you a Linkedin employee? Or an affiliate advertising shill?
I’m just sayin’.
Here’s the only reason you need: http://www.cracked.com/article_19179_6-people-who-had-no-clue-their-faces-were-world-famous.html
Because using an extremes like Bin Laden, people that had posed for pictures and paid for their work, stolen photos, 2 situational photos and National Geographic are a good comparison? None of these images and the situations are even close to a company sharing with your connections that you’ve followed them or endorsed them publicly.
Rev, now that’s both informative AND entertaining! 😉
Ryan, my concerns are twofold:
Opt OUTS are, IMHO, all too often underhanded tactics used to get people to consent to, or even purchase, services and goods they would otherwise avoid, given full disclosure. I suppose I shouldn’t complain. A good part of my income comes from cleaning bloatware off computers where the user wasn’t careful enough to opt out of everything but what they intended to install.
“Related” ads may or may not be ads for the product, company, or service that I originally endorsed. Related is a term open to a lot of interpretation, and the further down the chain you go, the more (mis)interpreted it can get. Especially if that interpretation is being done by marketing algorithms. I’m sure we’ve all gotten search results sprinkled with suggestions that were pretty well removed from what we were actually looking for. I’ve definitely gotten “You might also like” items that I most certainly would NOT choose to endorse.
I forgive you too. I was making a poor wisecrack, without yet finishing a cup of coffee. I’m hoping that a similar lack at your end explains the immediate descent into name calling.
I also hope you reconsider using terms like “douchebaggian” in public posts where you include links to your company website. In this brave new world where privacy is dead and information is archived before it’s even disseminated, first impressions are no longer just lasting, they’re often permanent.
Your opt-out argument is great and all, but people already agreed to allow LinkedIn and it’s affiliates to use their names and likenesses when they agreed to the TOS when they initially signed up for the site. And you’re not getting sprung with advertising that you wouldn’t already have on your page, nor your Conncections. These ads would still be there, but if you leave the box checked your name may appear next to that ad saying that, “Peg is following (enter name of the company this ad is promoting here).” You’ve already followed or endorsed the company, so what does it matter if they recommunicate your interest or endorsement that you’ve already publicly made?
I do agree that “related” is a broad term, but if you endorese Coca-Cola and an ad for Pepsi pops up in your Connection’s page, it isn’t going to tell that person that you like Coke under the Pepsi ad. While I may like something that you may not like, it doesn’t really matter. If an ad shows up for something that I did endorse it will show you that. If the algorithms are sound you shouldn’t see very many ads for things you may not be interested in. Regardless, if you see an ad for something I endorsed you’ll see that. If I see an ad for something you endorsed, I probably wouldn’t see it because you opted out. Considering you already agreed to allow LI or affiliates to use your name and likeness, this opt-out should be considered a gift to you as it allows you to avoid something you agreed to.
Peg, I’m glad I got a real response this time instead of weak snarkiness. If you didn’t like my attitude perhaps you should have stated what you said in this last post the first time. Please don’t try and play a holier than thou card. I responded to your silly comment by stating that saying, “I’m just sayin,” is douchey and without any real merit. Douche Trolls drop “Just sayin,” not people with something to actually say. Frankly, dropping a “just sayin” with your link isn’t the best move either considering that, “In this brave new world where privacy is dead and information is archived before it’s even disseminated, first impressions are no longer just lasting, they’re often permanent.” If someone chooses not to do business with me because of this, then so be it.
As it turns out, you actually had something to say and a decent point about marketing algorithms. Glad we could chat about it.
Thanks for sharing this!
Thanks. Spotted your article on G+. Turned off necessary spam. (I do like conference invites though…)
Nice find – I figured I had my social media privacy pretty well sorted, but that one sneaked under the radar. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you very much for this tip. Had no idea they had done this, so I appreciate you sounding the alarm, so to speak.
I love you, thank you. I work for a very large retail corporation and have sent this out to a very large number of folks. Not as “OMG IM PISSED”, but more of an FYI they did this without your consent.
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Thanks for sharing this information. done, done, and done!
Thank you for the wonderful article and tip.
Just one major critique: “biggify” is completely incorrect.
The correct term is “embiggen”, which is a perfectly cromulent word.
Thanks for critiquifying!
LOL seems like summerseale has no sense of humor
Actually Jake, summerseale shows a great deal of humor. “Embiggen” comes from a Simpson’s episode where they were mocking the break down of grammar in today’s society.
“A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man”
– Jebediah Springfield
Edna Krabappel: “Embiggens”? I never heard that word before I came to Springfield.
Miss Hoover: I don’t know why. It’s a perfectly cromulent word.
I, on the other hand, freely admit that I have no sense of humor when it comes to this matter. Why anyone would choose such a nonsensical word, especially when coming up with the proper term (“enlarge” in this case) is beyond me.
Wrod.
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*goes uncheck some boxes* Thanks for the tip!
So lame they did this. I guess the revenue they make out does the bad will they’ve just created with their user base by doing this? I don’t use LinkedIn much and am debating if I should quit it. Already used your tips to protect my privacy; thanks for posting this.
Thanks for that.
Thanks…worked a treat. If they want my picture they’ll have to pay for it.
Thanks for passing this along, Steve, and I’m passing along to my Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn friends as well.
Thank you.
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Thanks for the heads up, Steve! Implementing this without consent is a big no-no in my book. And by the way, I like the word “biggify”…think I’ll add it to my vocab…LOL!
Thankify for coming by!
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Add my name to the list of people grateful you posted this so quickly!
Thank you so much for this!
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Great info. Learning all the time, while looking for employment, entry level, in the social media field..
Hi, there is an easier way for this. Just visit; https://www.linkedin.com/settings/social-advertising
All done!
Bart Grootveld
Thank you, so easy. Done.
Also went on to “Turn on/off enhanced advertising”. Out of the filter bubble.
Thanks for the tip (also to Bart)!
I was trying to disable my settings, but strangely I could not open the ‘social-advertising’ option, nor the ‘enhanced-advertising’ one by going through the levels that Steve reported in his post.
Cheers, i’m getting flattened with spam all over the place lately. good on ya mate.
Thanks for the info. Just goes to show it’s good idea to keep an eye on your settings every now and then….
Thanks for the heads up, I’ve closed my account as I’d rather not keep having to do this every time they think of a new feature and automatically enabling it. If it’s such a good feature I’ll hear about it from colleagues and opt-in myself.
Thanks for the heads up Steve!
Hey Steve,
Thanks for the heads-up. Though I use LinkedIn on daily basis, I wouldn’t have figured out this catch with your help.
Thanks again – Bhavin Gandhi
Saw this from a tweet on someone I follow – thanks for pointing it out!
thank you. and done.
i dont use them for advertising so…. fairs fair 😉
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The 3rd party application setting is most likely for when you link things like Klout to your account, I’d imagine.
Thanks Steve. Really quite amazing what LinkedIn is trying to pull off here.
What a sneaky tactic! Thanks for exposing it.
Thanks Steve, good to know and to fix. Shame that LinkedIn have reverted to facebook privacy tactics.
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Nice to know, thanks indeed…
How is this not illegal…..Using a user’s photo that was taken by that person’s colleague or friend…wouldn’t that break Copyright and Legal release?
Wouldn’t they need consent from the person who took the photo and the person in the photo?
My guess is that this checkbox just puts in concrete form something you probably already agreed to in their terms of service. It is the default because it is what you have already agreed to let them do. Now, you can turn it off. Before, you couldn’t. That’s just my guess though. Either way, this doesn’t seem that scary.
Steve,
Thanks for the heads-up. I have shared this with my network on FB, Twitter & Google+. Oh yeah, and LinkedIn!
Steve, Dennis D. McDonald posted a link to your post on LinkedIn Bloggers and I immediately went to fix it.
However, that setting doesn’t appear on my basic account, which makes no sense to me. I cna’t imagine LinkedIn would not apply it to the vast numbers of free members.
Here is what shows on my account,
PRIVACY CONTROLS
Turn on/off your activity broadcasts
Select who can see your activity feed
Select what others see when you’ve viewed their profile
Select who can see your connections
Change your profile photo & visibility
Can someone tell me what am I missing?
Thanks!
I’ve had some people report not seeing these settings, and often it’s mentioned that it’s a free (non-premium) account. I cannot say for certain if that is universal, or exactly who/who does not have these settings.
The settings are right where you describe them on *my* free account, so whatever’s going on here, it’s not as simple as “not in free.”
You’re looking at the Profile tab (far left column, top).
You want to be looking at the Account tab (far left column, bottom).
I did the same thing for a few minutes. The OP on this, while extremely useful, isn’t entirely clear on that point.
I’m sure it’s me, but the Profile I’m looking at is at the bottom…
Profile
Email Preferences
Groups, Companies & Applications
Account
and the white ‘box’ extending from it has the “Privacy Controls” (an oxymoron if I ever heard one:)
Perhaps you or @jrep could be more explicit for the dummies like me.
Here you go, this will you take you straight there:
https://www.linkedin.com/settings/social-advertising
Hope that helps!
Thanks for the update…QRrealtyTag
Thanks! Good tip.
Does Linked In actually work?
Incredible.
LI have been using people’s information without their permission for years – I was once cited in a campaign suggesting that terrorists could learn about you and steal your identity on line – as if!!?
Why get worked up about this – they won’t be paying you if you untick the box and it won’t stop them publishing your details as you agree by signing up.
Cheers John
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Thank you!
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Thanks, this is very useful.
I just closed my LinkedIn account. TBH, in spite of the thousands of network acquaintances related to my profile, I never used it for anything but a online ‘who is’. Now that I have been using Google+, I am convinced it can be used to promote better by contributions. This is enough for me to maintain a personal/professional bio and link any commercial sites I want to cross promote.
I’ve unchecked it. I have been building my G+ account, but think it may take some time before it outstrips LI for professional connections (with context)
that’s why i am looking for. Thanks for sharing
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Wow, I had no idea about this! Thanks for the heads up.
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Old news, but thanks anyway.
Thank you, Steve, for caring. Thanks @Ambercadabra for sharing.
Thanks Bart Grootveld for the easier way in the comments above: https://www.linkedin.com/settings/social-advertising (works when logged in to LinkedIn)
While at it, also goto “Turn on/off enhanced advertising”
and uncheck “The LinkedIn Audience Network may show me enhanced advertising.”
https://www.linkedin.com/settings/enhanced-advertising
The filter bubble, you know. http://www.thefilterbubble.com/
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Appreciate the tip!
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Good tip. Just changed my setting. Thanks
Thanks so much!!! I unchecked!!! 🙂
Thanks for the tip. I’ve been pretty lax when it comes to LinkedIn for a few years and this is a reminder to get back on and do some updating.
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I think instead of biggify you mean embiggen.
I like biggify. It’s more fun, even if it’s not technically correctified! ;>}
Thanks for the tip. I wish I could say I was surprised, but I’m not really. If they keep this up, it’s “see ya LinkedIn”.
Thanks, Steve. Very useful.
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Thanks, Steve – this was a big surprise to see, and I don’t recall seeing any announcement from LinkedIn about this change. They should be ashamed of themselves.
Highly appreciated!!
Believe it or not, I am bookmarking your site!
I like this, it’s like facebook.
I think Linkin will over pass facebook!
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Oh, LinkedIn…
Please don’t make decisions for me. Facebook did that and now it is dead to me.
Great catch there!
A much funnier solution is to just upload pictures of dicks as your profile pic.
> Zack R says:
> Because:
>1- LinkedIn turned “on” this feature without the users’ explicit agreement, which is the equivalent > of using their data (name, photo) without their consent, and that’s illegal; and,
Especially in the EU, or anywhere there are actual data protection laws.
> 2- just because a user endorses a product doesn’t mean that they also endorse their data being > used for an advertising campaign they get zero revenue from.
Yes. There’s a big difference between thinking something has some clever features that proved useful and being an advertising “face” for a product, especially without my explicit consent. Some of us have legal obligations to not publically advocate the purchase of ANY product because of our day jobs. I know I’m going to have to explain this to people in my legal department, and it’s not going to be an entertaining conversation in the slightest. Good thing I found it first before they did.
Personal networking is a good thing, but this kind of crap gets people fired in my industry, whether it’s by accident or not. I like my job, and if Linkedin gets me fired for no fault of my own, I know where I’m taking my complaint.
> Or, to put it simply, if they’re going to use my name and photo to advertise something, I’d want > them to at least have the courtesy to ask me first, and maybe pay me for it too since other
> people are going to be making money from that campaign.
Now that’s a thought, although see above.
http://blog.linkedin.com/2011/06/23/social-ads/
Take a look at how the advertising is being used. One is for recruiting ads for the company you currently work for, the other is advertising that says you “follow” the advertised company on LinkedIn. I don’t get the problem with the former and there is no endorsement in the latter.
Is this really what we’re getting up in arms about? A company that publicly announced the change (a month and a half ago) and said in the post itself that you are welcome to opt out (and hyperlinked you to your settings).
When people joke about first world problems, this is why. If *this* is what you’re outraged about on the internet, that’s rough.
“recruiting ads for the company you currently work for, ”
If you’re currently trying to leave them, you might not want to advertise them. And stating in advertisements that you follow a particular company is an implied form of endorsement.
If the change had been publicly announced, I’m pretty certain I’d have seen an email.
Anarchic teapot – reading comprehension fail for you. IT was announced via the blog on 6/23. Lance, the guy you responded to, even linked it for you.
I guess you’re not a Facebook user then because they do exactly the same thing and have been for a long time. The expectation of an email for every change is asinine.
Ryan —
“…The expectation of an email for every change is asinine….”
Why?
If someone in a business relationship is going to unilaterally change the terms of the contract, it certainly *does* warrant notification. And since the entity involves *does* have your e-mail address it is not beyond the capabilities of Linkedin to so inform the users.
Anytime that AOL changed their TOS or advertising policy, where it impinged on my privacy, or previous account settings, I got an e-mail about it. I see no reason for LINKEDIN not to do the same.
Because nothing changed Craig R. other than the fact that they gave you a box to uncheck to opt out of something you opted into when you first agreed to the TOS. Why would they advise you that nothing has changed?
Frankly, no one who is ticked that I think people are being overly sensitive and overly reactionary to this has yet to explain why they are upset about the fact that someone is using their name or likeness to show only their connections that they previously followed or endorsed a company. It was already made public in your stream when you took that action. Why are people so up in arms about their privacy when nothing that isn’t already public is being shared?
I’m keeping the box checked, I could use the free publicity.
Thanks for the information.
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Thank you…
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Thanks!
Many thanks for the heads-up: Your page was referenced by a friend of mine, and your instructions were easy to follow, saving me a couple minutes of digging.
Did I miss the memo? Everybody’s saying that Facebook has been doing the same. How?
Look at the Ads on the right of the page in Facebook. Some will tell you that “so and so” also likes what is being advertised. It does the same thing with anything you’ve liked.
Jenny (@vofficeworx)
Thanks for this
Jenny
Very sneaky. Not a fan of this at all – thanks for bringing it to our attention. RT’d
Ironically, reading the description alongside the checkbox, the intended usage sounds identical to how the [like] button works below your article – its saying if you do the equivalent of “liking” something on linkedin they’ll show a thumbnail of your profile pic next to the like button – everyone gonna stop liking things on wordpress too?
It’s the fact that your image/name can then be hijacked for advertising by others that creates the problem. You choosing to share your info via “Like” on my blog is still under your control…
Again, Steve, Facebook works like that as it is now. Your name and image are used to show things you’ve like to others including in advertisements. But then, you’ve already publicly endorsed something, what does it matter?
Thank you. What got me was the sentence “When LinkedIn members recommend people and services, follow companies, or take other actions, their name/photo may show up in related ads shown to you. ” Or more particularly the phrase “or take other actions”. Can you just see the lawyers putting that one in? “That’ll cover anything we haven’t thought of.”
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Thank you so much. It is god to know there are people out there like you.
There’s only one thing I have to say – not cool. Thanks for bringing it to our attention!
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To be honest if this helps promote the company or not this is still something I do not want to be part of, I guess I missed the email regarding the new feature. Thanks for the heads up Steve! Unchecked!
I closed my account and seconds after I did that I had an email in my native language from someone who is addressing me by name and is offering me a job in my area.
It was a LinkedIn message-button in the email too, I can’t answer it any longer.
Are they trying to make me feel bad about closing my account?
Just plain annoying – why do these companies do this. The fact they sneak it in demonstrates they know it’s not welcomed. Grrrr!
Thanks Steve
Also…is everyone on this conversation cool if I use their mugshot for my next campaign? What a gorgeous bunch x 😉
LinkedIn just lost another member. Mind you, it’s not as if I was getting much out of it anyway.
The whole thing’s badly programmed and awkward to use.
Or don’t use it anymore. Unsubscribing now
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Well spotted, will jump straight into my account and sort out now.
Thanks for the heads-up. When this happened on Facebook, my girlfriend’s photo was used to advertise a FB dating app! Luckily I was aware of FB’s sneaky little change, otherwise it could’ve had massive implications on our relationship…!
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Do we need a new opt-in law ?
Does this apply to business accounts? I’m not able to locate “manage social advertising” in my account settings.
they sold my info to a 3rd party advertising company
so sad
protect your images people
http://ethicalfutures.wordpress.com
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And why would I want to turn that off?
Thanks for pointing this out. Saw your tweet on my iphone search page.
Will be sharing with my LinkedIn friends.
Thanks for publishing this. This practice is not acceptable!
Thank you for this information.
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Hey mate, are you able to contact me via email? I’m going to put together a story on this.
Thank you very much for this.
Thanks for this info. Bad, bad LinkedIn.
agree
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Thank you, sir! That may have been hidden in one of those privacy emails they send out that I never read >:-(
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Wow! Thank you so much. I have just unchecked my box and have shared with all my followers/friends! This should not be allowed! Seems a violation of privacy to me!
Thanks, Steve. Good info. I’m passing it on to my friends and colleagues.
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Thanks for this information. It was really useful.
Thanks for the information – I de-selected it at once!
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Thanks again. But the question really is, how much traffic have you had on this page? Standout performance…
Oh, goodness–thanks for the heads up! I’ll have to alert our LinkedIn users on Mirror.me.
–Jenn at Mirror.me
Hi Steve,
I came across your blog via a tweet from a friend and it’s very good.
Thanks for sharing this info to unsubscribe. You’ve inspired me with an idea to write my next blog post for the Canadian Marketing Association.
I’m not a LinkedIn employee, have stock in the company or receive any kind of financial renumeration but wanted to advise they put up a post on this a few weeks ago: http://blog.linkedin.com/2011/06/23/social-ads/
Thought I’d share that although they could have considered including a link with directions to unsubscribe as you clearly illustrated.
Keep up the great work.
Cheers,
@sulemaan
Ahh, SEO Spammers R Us
THINK AGAIN – IT’S A SOCIAL NETWORK AND THE USE OF PEOPLE’S ‘STUFF’ IN ASSOCIATION WITH WHAT THEY LIKE, DO, ETC… IS TO ENHANCE THE SOCIAL NETWORKING EXPERIENCE – JUST LIKE FACEBOOK!!
Manage Social Advertising
LinkedIn may sometimes pair an advertiser’s message with social content from LinkedIn’s network in order to make the ad more relevant. When LinkedIn members recommend people and services, follow companies, or take other actions, their name/photo may show up in related ads shown to you. Conversely, when you take these actions on LinkedIn, your name/photo may show up in related ads shown to LinkedIn members. By providing social context, we make it easy for our members to learn about products and services that the LinkedIn network is interacting with.
LinkedIn may use my name, photo in social advertising.
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What a bunch of gobbledy-gook on the Linked in page? I never would have understood what I was agreeing to on Linked-In but I’m glad you explained it.
thanks again.
–Victor
@John – They should have it so you choose to opt in; not automatically do that without your permission. If I want to do that, let me choose to do it. The other thing about this is I may be endorsing something that I don’t really want to endorse; whether I’ve used it or not.
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Wow! Thanks so much. I have just unchecked my box and will share with all my followers/friends and partners.
It was only a matter of time. Many thanks for the head’s-up.
Another reason why I want LinkedIn to act differently than Facebook:
I don’t have the same friends on LinkedIn that I do have on Facebook and may not want professional contacts knowing about something I’ve “endorsed” by purchasing a service.
What if for example, it was something that implied you were looking for work outside your company? A simple LinkedIn account isn’t enough to imply you’re job hunting; but they’re endorsements could end up saying that and your boss (if you live in a “right to work” state could fire you.
Again, if I *choose* to opt in that’s fine; but don’t do it for me and when FB did this people were upset too.
ENOUGH ALREADY – AS HAS BEEN SAID – YOU HAD ALREADY AGREED TO IT IN THE TOS – THE CREATION OF THE SWETCH WAS TO ENABLE YOU TO TURN OFF WHAT YOU HAD AGREED TO!
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Hello Steve! Glad this was shared with us on our Social Media Club LinkedIn Group. With so many things changing daily on social media, keeping on top of privacy settings is incredibly important. I’ll be sure to share with all my friends, followers, and fans of our company page.
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Thanks for the tip! Unchecked! 🙂
thanks so much for this – awesome
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Big Brother Incorporated strikes again…
Will it become the standard price of admission on these websites that we must sacrifice our expectations of privacy to use any given social network?
I’ll take using literary excerpts incorrectly for $1000 Alex.
Big Brother is government.
These websites are freemium. To remain free to those of us that don’t want to pay, the companies that run these sites need to make money. Since we don’t pay to use it they have to sell advertising. Since we agreed to this in the TOS when we initially signed up, this shouldn’t be an issue. Since most chose not to read the TOS prior to signing up, that’s on them. If you’re on LinkedIn, you’ve already agreed to the terms that allow them to use your name and likeness. Thus this shouldn’t be an issue for anyone. IF you want to be outraged, be mad at yourself for not reading something you agreed to.
OK – I now have a real concern – how do I get off this thread – I am getting inundated with circular debate / comments…
Cheers John
1) Go to the “message board settings” tab in your brain.
2) Uncheck the “overly angry” box.
3) Uncheck “ALL CAPS”
4) Save those settings.
That should take care of it.
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As a Gen X/Y cusper attention fiend I would be flattered if my picture was to be used to promote LinkedIn…esp if it linked to my acct and promoted my work!
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Thanks for the head’s up.
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thanks for sharing, appreciate it
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HTF DO I GET OFF THIS THREAD!?
John – every email you are getting has a ‘manage subscriptions’ link at the bottom. click that and unsubscribe to the thread.
🙂
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LinkedIn has back pedaled: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/08/linkedin-social-ads-will-stop-displaying-users-names-photos-.html
Weak.
Thanks! Seems that Facebook and LinkedIn have the same ethics regarding such features.
Thanks for the info! Yep, looks like we’ll all be doing this one social network at a time until we die.
Excellent and smart idea ..
many thanks for this tips
warm regards,
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Ryan L and the other bloke who linked the outrageous unannounced announcement for this change are the only one’s making sense here.
Steve…whilst you may me technically correct to some small degree, the reality is most of the article is sensationalist propaganda.
The rest of you are being sheep.
Congratulations.
I don’t have an issue with it at all. Read Ryan L’s comments about the T&C’s that EVERYONE BLINDLY AGREED to when you all signed up for your account.
You know…this sort of reminds me of a story I heard (I’m sure it’s not true…but reading the comments here, maybe it’s possible after all) about a guy who bought a pair of Nike running shoes…didn’t know the “swoosh” was the Nike logo…then tried to sue Nike for placing their advertising on HIS shoe?
FFS…grow up. You’re all behaving like over paranoid children whipped into a frenzy by the Pied Piper of Ignorance.
Hat tip Ryan L and the other bloke (sorry man…comment is way too far up the page…can’t remember your name).
Thanks Brendon. Sometimes I feel like the bad guy because I stopped to look at the situation with a bit of logic.
Privacy is dead as was so aptly stated by DB (Peg) above. Yet people feel the need to complain that something like my image or name might show up next to a product or service that I’ve already publicly promoted. It’s baffling. Further, it’s worse that people want to get pissed about something they already agreed to.
I like you Pied Piper of Ignorance. In many of these cases regarding privacy complaints, it’s truly what it is. Good on Steve though, he didn’t even do his homework, wrote a “sensational” piece, the ignorant hypocrites (people that share too much, but complain when a company shares something they already shared) hopped on board, and his Klout and blog sky-rocketed. The true test will be whether or not he can capitalize on this. Good luck Steve, you got a gift. Make it happen!
LinkedIn, you are one small step away from me abandoning your service! However valuable you think it may be it will be valueless without participants. Thanks, Steve.
Perhaps you should have read the TOS before agreeing to it in the first place. You agreed to allow them to use your name and likeness prior to even creating your profile.
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What is it with these big sites just viloating everyone’s privacy! I thought it was the law that if they change privacy settings they have to tell us, the users. Urgh! I am so fed up. I’ve only heard of ONE site that is in start-up mode that is all about protecting users’ privacy.
It’s called JAFOU, short for Just a few of Us. It a social ‘sharing’ site and promise to respect your privacy — you have to pay for it although I don’t know how much yet. We need more start-ups like this one!! http://www.jafou.com
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Now this was a useful post. Thanks Steve. as I don’t spend much time checking my profile, it would have been some time before discovering this feature, and the options.
If someone want’s to use my information for advertising, they can PAY for the priveledge, and I have no interest in receiving advertising allerts either.
I think I may just provide a link to this post from my blog.
http://graphiclineweb.wordpress.com
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OK – I now have a real concern – how do I get off this thread – I am getting inundated with circular debate / comments… Cheers John
1) Go to the “message board settings” tab in your brain.
2) Uncheck the “overly angry” box.
3) Uncheck “ALL CAPS”
4) Save those settings.
That should take care of it.
==========================
Hey, you’re a really clever and funny guy – you wind everyone up with a no news story explaining how they can switch of a function they had previously agreed to, but when I ask you three times for advice on how to do the same thing here, you take it as an opportunity for ritual humiliation and taking the piss!!
Would you mind, please telling me how I can get off this inane thread.
Cheers John
….by the way, did you know that anyone can read this information and the posts of everyone in the thread… OMG – we’re all be used ….!!!
“If someone want’s to use my information for advertising, they can PAY for the priveledge, and I have no interest in receiving advertising allerts either.”
This. Thanks for the heads up.
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This would explain why I’m getting all this strange junk email from Pakistan and the like lately. Thanks for the heads up!!
I just made sure I unchecked mine. What botters me the most is the intention behind the act. Its a sign of how deep can you trust this service provider. What can happen next? In principle have no major complaints about Linkedin but I consider that actions are more honest than speech. Let’s just keep an eye on it. Like we do in Compliance.
Great tip. Thanks for that.
This is the entire concept behind Google+ — using social endorsements to beef up natural search results. What do you people think you are doing when you “like” something on any social platform? Still convinced you are using your own private little Internet? I particularly love the few commenters above who trashed their LinkedIn accounts and then went on to Google+ to brag about it.
Much more concerning to me is that the social connector for LinkedIn that runs in my Outlook email client actually helps spammers validate and track me via LinkedIn. Have noticed that anyone sending me an email (or vice versa) quickly jumps to the top of my recommended connections. To me, *that* is scary.
Indeed, I used to use that…Plaxo too until I started seeing oddities like you saw. That’s a real privacy concern, but then again we agreed to those types of things in the EULA when we installed it.
Very good point about Google+ though.
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Thanks for the heads up on this.
I guess it’s not so bad unless they use the information without telling you or sell them to 3rd party.
Kudos to Ryan L.
As a seasoned Social Networker for both business and pleasure, I am appalled at the ignorance of emarketing shown here.
I am a paid member of LI and I generate about 48% of my business here.
ANYTIME they want to use my picture and information in their ads or content it is 200% ok.
Did I say 200%? It should be more like 2000%.
Why did i sign up for LI if it was not to share my information? I agreed to their terms and this system does not violate them.
It is not rocket surgery.
“There’s no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary. ”
Brendan Behan – Irish Republican and “drinker with a writing problem”
Somebody said they *might not want people to see endorsements of things they bought.
WHY??? I really don’t understand this. Are you ashamed? Does your professional support need professional support?
If anyone wants to chat, I am on all the instant messengers and my details are on my site’s contact us page. http://nbs-seo.com/seo/contact_us.php
Retarded. If you don’t want this, you should close your account. The fact that they consider using your data for their profit shows their true nature. This is only what they admit to, you probably won’t know the full story. The only way for these companies to change is zero tolerance. People need to take these infractions seriously and close their account when things like this happen. We’ll all still be able to connect, just with other means.
Go ahead and close your free account then. You should also close your Facebook account if you have one because they do this too. Worse, you should probably slap yourself for not reading the TOS for the site where they explicitly tell you that by agreeing you allow them to use your name and likeness. FYI, most of those “other means” you speak of have the same language in their TOS.
It’s a terrible, terrible thing for a company to try to make money, right? The fact that 90%+ of the people that made comments here don’t understand that “these companies” are in the business of selling data. If your stance is zero tolerance, you should stop using Social Media of any kind right now. All these companies are selling your data. Time for people like you to put up or shut up.
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@Ryan L
Look, I get it. You think we’re all stupid idiots who signed the agreement to have our data posted on LinkedIn to endorse products we’ve bought.
Frankly you seem to rail against every single person who disagrees with you or isn’t excited that LinkedIn did this.
But here’s the thing. Some of us log in so infrequently we didn’t see it, and even if for those who did;I have to ask why you think LinkedIn didn’t make it more prominent or make it an ‘opt in’ thing unless they thought we wouldn’t do so.
The fact they make it ‘opt out’ is in my mind because people would not choose to opt in.
Yes; Facebook may do something similar, but the thing is, LinkedIn isn’t Facebook.
And I for one, don’t want it to be. If I want to “Like” something I’ll do that on Facebook.
I want LinkedIn to be what it started as; a way to network with business contacts; not a Facebook knock off.
I use LinkedIn only for business contacts; not as a personal social network for my friends.
Just because I buy something doesn’t mean I want to endorse it publicly.
I do appreciate that they attempted to address this situation and took out individuals names from showing up on endorsements.
Look, I don’t mind them making money through ad revenue but they don’t have to do it with my public endorsement. LinkedIn existed before “Like” was an option on Facebook so they really don’t have to do this and they can still advertise to me and that’s fine. I don’t even care if they mine my “likes” to get stats for figuring it out and selling that to vendors as long as they don’t use names in their stats.
Just don’t endorse something “related” that I may not want to endorse, let alone the product I bought.
LinkedIn has had a revenue model long before this alteration, unlike a lot of other platform vendors! They just have to weigh carefully the pros and cons of each approach, as to what user expectations and reactions will be. Not convinced that happened in this case.
This isn’t a change in policy though Steve. That’s what you are sensationalizing. The users already agreed to allow LI to use their name and likeness. The box you brought into the picture is a gift. Heck, even the post you made today about you being part of the catalyst for change didn’t really change anything. They still are going to use peoples’ names next to ads, just not images. You can now opt out of that if you wish because of your “box.”
The user’s expectations are incorrect if they think that LI just opted them into something without the users’ consent. The user gave their consent, thus opting in, when they agreed to the TOS. The users that are outraged are at fault for not doing their due diligence. Regardless, their privacy isn’t affected at all here because they’ve already made a public endorsement of a product, service, idea, etc if LI is going to include their name next to an ad.
Look Greg, I don’t think anyone is an idiot. I think that people are hypocritical and foolish to be complaining about “privacy” when they so freely share everything else. The fact that they didn’t read the TOS isn’t surprising, but you can’t be upset when something happens that you agreed to. In the end, this check box was a gift to people that may want to opt-out of something they opted in to.
You should be excited that LinkedIn did “this.” It allows you to opt out of something you agreed to opt-in to. This is a good thing. The fact that people like you can’t see this is the funniest part of this whole exercise.
It has nothing to do with how often you log in. You agreed to the TOS of LinkedIn when you first signed up. You didn’t read it. You agreed to allow your name and likeness to be used. What’s to opt-in to Greg? You already Opted into it when you opened your account.
All these companies offer free membership. How are they going to make money to stay open if not by selling data and advertising? All SM sites make their money this way. So LinkedIn is Facebook is Twitter is Google+ is Zing. LI is still business focused, the social marketing is simply that marketing.
The social marketing has nothing to do with what you buy. Your name or image next to an ad is something that you already “liked,” “Followed,” or endorsed publicly. As stated earlier, this is akin to a Retweet. You’ve already shared that you’ve taken an action, what does it matter that your name would show next to an ad of something you’ve already endorsed pubicly?
LI and Facebook aren’t connected. The fact that you don’t understand what is happening here is your problem. You agreed to let them use your name and likeness before you created a profile Greg. Nothing has changed. You agreed that they could do this long ago.
The only thing new here is that they’ve now given you a box to uncheck if you want to opt-out of something you already opted into. Frankly, if you’re so concerned about sharing what you’ve followed or endorsed, then using SM is probably not for you and you should delete all of your accounts.
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Thank you. I would have thought that this sight would be more professional, but obviously not.
Yes, I am aware that there is a ‘manage your subscription’ link at the base of each message, however, it requires me to log in, and I do not (I choose not) have an account.
Now how villainous is that compared with LinkedIn’s efforts to allow you to opt out of their ToS….
Cheers John
Hi Rachael,
Thanks much! I’m usually on top of suh settings but I trusted LinkedIn for some reason.
I have gone in and activated a LOT of privacy settings in addition to the one you pointed out.
Regards,
Oludare
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Thank you so much for the tidbit that puts me in control.
Should we turn off “Enhanced Advertising” as well?
Great tip !!
Thank you so much for shairng it
Best regards
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Thanks for sharing, Steve!
Ok Ryan, so we don’t read a TOS.
Then there is an easy solution. Cancel account and goodbye linkedin.
See ya.
And by the way. In this country even if you signa a contract of TOS which is illegal, it remains illegal, no matter what the contract of TOS says.
So if you blame us for not reading deeply the TOS legalese, then what happens to the company whose team of lawyers has not checked with at least same depths the law?
http://www.pcworld.com/article/237849/linkedins_privacy_slipup_draws_legal_scrutiny.html#tk.hp_new
[…In addition to potentially breaking Dutch law, the move by LinkedIn might also run afoul of European regulations. The European Data Protection Working Party on July 14 published an opinion stressing the need for explicit consent by the user and clarifying how this consent has to be obtained. LinkedIn has clearly violated the rules set forth in this document, said Milica Antic, a lawyer specializing in intellectual property matters for SOLV, a Dutch law firm….]
Explicit consent != opt-out
Except you gave explicit consent when you opted in by agreeing to these things when you agreed to the TOS when you initially signed up whether you read it or not Alfonso. The act of agreeing to have your name and likeness used isn’t illegal, so the TOS isn’t illegal.
You’re just talking out of your butt here, I know. The link is talking about a watchdog group and potential claims it made to a magazine. Nothing concrete whatsoever. Frankly, if the CBP didn’t even read the TOS when it setup it’s page on LinkedIn, shame on them.
Since you didn’t read anything else I wrote, you should also know that you agreed to similar terms on many other SM sites, if you use them. Of course explicit consent doesn’t equal opting out. In this case it means you opted in when you agreed to the TOS.
In all seriousness though, the fact that people like you are still prattling on about “privacy” when you’ve already freely shared your name, a picture, and an endorsement of some sort is the craziest thing about this entire discussion. FFS people, you’ve already shared this publicly thus it is no longer private.
Ryan, you just don’t get it or have a vested interest in not getting it.
Whatever the TOS says, the law is over it.
You can get into a social network which TOS says you will deliver them your mother and your teenage tender nieces to them. Even if yousealed it with your blood, no way they are got to get away with it.
It the TOS is unlawful, it is invalid.
I read how the law works, the TOS is only deemed illegal if there are illegal acts within it. You can freely give up your “right to privacy” by agreeing to the TOS. If the TOS contains no illegal acts it’s fine.
Your problem here is that agreeing to have your name and face used is not an illegal act.
Still, there is nothing private here. For your name to be used alongside an ad to someone in your network only, you would have had to publicly endorse that company/product which already showed in your stream with your name (and possibly your face if you have a picture). It is no longer private.
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No thanks Linkedin. Did it now.
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thanks for the tip
best regards
OK, kids, I think we’ve beaten the TOS debate to death – everyone has their backlinks, agree to disagree and let’s move on…
I’m wondering, are most folk here the exception to Tom Peters theory on paranoia? I mean, hold your hand up if you ‘always’ read terms and conditions before you buy online? The Big Byte seems to be on the button here, and subliminal advertising, whether he or you realise it or not, but I would add that whilst highlighting opt-out clicks that you and you and you might have missed when LinkedIn changed aint a conspiracy – hell, it aint even worth me writing this!
Wow- Thanks so much!
Do any of you understand what is meant by 3rd party applications? The terms of use are very strict, https://developer.linkedin.com/documents/linkedin-apis-terms-use. For example, your email address in not available and 3rd party applications are not allowed to save your data in any way or the access will be terminated immediately.
https://developer.linkedin.com/documents/linkedin-apis-terms-use
The social media aspect is bad, yes. But by eliminating 3rd party applications for devices such as your phone, you are making LinkedIn less effective. I rarely check the LinkedIn website because I have an application on my phone. It happens to be a 3rd party application and it is very convenient.
If you are recruiter and are posting information to your network on LinkedIn, I can’t understand why you wouldn’t allow 3rd party applications access. You may miss out on a candidate who only uses a 3rd party application.
Agree with all the “Facebook” jibes, but the 3rd party applications can be useful – I’m just setting up a profile on Airbnb and linking it to LinkedIn will boost my listing.
As I recall, I had to explicitly authorise the app before it got access anyway – would be interesting to know just how “badly behaved” such an app can actually be.
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Thank you for posting this. Despite the complaints of some, it is helpful and appreciated.
Just like Facebook? Why yes, it is. I don’t have a Facebook account just because I value my privacy.
Steve, thanks for the tip
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Thanks. Very useful.
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I am glad to have learned about this. I don’t appreciate the LinkedIn tactics. Thanks for the tip, BizCoach.
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Thanks. What a great favor LInkedin has done for us.
Many Thanks for the heads up on this,
One of the many reasons I left stalkerbook was due to these third parties and the access to information they were given without my consent.
Hopefully LinkedIn will not continue down this path.
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Nice. Glad I saw this on delicious just now.
Many thanks Steve for this information and the trick.
Jacques.
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I think the data sharing with 3rd party applications is needed if you want to couple e.g. your TripIt account to your LinkedIn profile. I doubt the data will be shared silently, you always have to approve it actively.
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THANK YOU! DONE!
One would expect that people learn from mistakes, even if it’s from mistakes from crappy Companies like Facebook. Way to go linkedin!
Mark, goo remark, like I love them !
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Thanks for this, I have already RT’ed and shared on Facebook with my networks as well!
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Wow! Thanks so much for this info (found you via the Social Media newsletter).
Thanks so much!
Thank you for the Heads Up.
Thanks, I appreciate the heads-up. Not a promising development for LinkedIn!
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Super Steve, Thank You for posting this! We all already get enough Spam! You are fantastic! 😀
Thank you for pointing that out and shared the tips! Much appreciated.
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Thank you, I will go in and follow your directions. This is one reason I do not use facebook or twitter
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Thanks a bunch, fixed it.
Thank you for letting us know. Regards, Pevex Management Ltd
Thanks Steve and your friend too!
Didn’t know this was “hidden” in there.
Much appreciated!
Thanks for finding this issue and sharing with others and please do continue to post similar findings.
Thanks for the heads up.
Thanks for posting this, Steve! In addition to the box you mentioned, I found another on marked ‘SHowHide Enhanced Advertising’. By default it was checked and I unchecked that one, too!
Hi Praveer (and namaskar!)
Could you kindly repost the link for that ‘SHowHide Enhanced Advertising’?
I think a lot of us would like to ct on that also!
Cheers!
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Thank you so much for your simple instructions on how to uncheck!!!
Caren, thanks. I never knew about this.
Gayatri
Thanks for bringing this up! Have pased it on.
There’s no telling which advertiser and message would feature my profile. What if it was a client’s competitor? What if it is my employer’s competitor. Thanks for the heads up, extremely helpful!
Hopefully they would see that you’re following their competitors to see what they are doing so you can be more effective at your job or in helping your clients. That’s not a bad thing.
STEVE … thank-you for your vigilance and efforts …
We have “unchecked” all those lovely “offers” that LinkedIn so KINDLY elected to opt us in on … without our consent!
Much obliged!
Hi Praveer (and namaskar!)
Could you kindly repost the link for that ‘SHowHide Enhanced Advertising’?
I think a lot of us would like to act on that also!
Cheers!
Namaskar, permaculture! Click on the visual (the screenshot at the top of this article – it says biggify). Right under the red circled item, you’ll find the link to ‘SHowHide Enhanced Advertising’. Hope this helps.
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Thanks for that tip. Very useful and not entirely surprising.
Good catch & great tip. Thank you.
Thanks for the alert. That’s certainly changed my impression of LinkedIn
Steve,
Thanks for the heads up! I have updated my settings to the settings I want, not LinkedIn. This the kind of tricks that cause me to lose trust in a site, Big Time! (Are you listening LinkedIn?) I don’t use most social sites because of tricks like this. I will not tolerate these kinds of tricks very often! ~Frank
I will right away clutch your rss as I can’t to find your email subscription link or newsletter service. Do you have any? Kindly permit me recognize so that I could subscribe. Thanks.
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I have also unchecked it, thank you for this!
Facebook is terrible for this, mainly for if you were to post on a public page i.e. a ‘like’ page. It can easily be reversed by finding the source of the image and removing your comments or likes.
You need to uncheck it. Mine was checked. I’m really appalled by this.