LinkedIn faces complaint over alleged user data sales in Austria

A data protection group has filed a complaint against LinkedIn in Austria, accusing the platform of failing to properly grant users access to their personal data and raising concerns over how user information is handled.

The complaint was lodged on Tuesday by Vienna-based privacy organisation Noyb (None of Your Business) with the Austrian Data Protection Authority, on behalf of a LinkedIn user seeking full disclosure of his stored data.

According to Noyb, the user is requesting a complete response to his data access request, as guaranteed under European data protection laws.

“People have the right to receive their own data free of charge,” said Noyb lawyer Martin Baumann.

The group is also pushing for regulatory authorities to impose a fine on LinkedIn over the alleged breach.

Allegations of restricted access

Noyb claimed that LinkedIn, which is owned by Microsoft, has cited data protection concerns as a reason for not fully complying with user requests.

At the same time, the organisation alleged that the platform encourages users to subscribe to premium services to access certain data insights, such as profile visitors.

Privacy concerns over tracking

The complaint also questions the legality of LinkedIn’s tracking of profile visitors, arguing that users may not have provided explicit consent.

“It is unclear whether the tracking of visitors is legal,” the group said, pointing to a lack of active user approval for such data processing.

The case falls under the framework of the General Data Protection Regulation, which mandates transparency and user control over personal data across the European Union.

Background

Noyb, founded in 2018, has been at the forefront of legal actions against major tech companies, frequently prompting investigations and sanctions by European regulators.

The outcome of the complaint could add to growing scrutiny of how global tech platforms manage user data and comply with strict privacy regulations.