LinkedIn is spying on you, according to a new 'BrowserGate' security report — scripts stealthily scan visitors' browsers for over 6,000 Chrome extensions and harvest hardware data
LinkedIn has been accused of spying on users through a JavaScript script that scans visitors' browsers for over 6,000 Chrome extensions and collects hardware data like CPU core count and screen resolution. The script also gathers device telemetry such as time zone and battery status. Many of the targeted extensions are LinkedIn-related tools, including those from competitors like Apollo and ZoomInfo. LinkedIn claims the scanning is to detect extensions that violate its terms of service, but the data collected could potentially be used to identify individuals. This aggressive client-side fingerprinting technique is not unique to LinkedIn, as other platforms like eBay have been found to engage in similar practices.