• Access the original complaint against LinkedIn from here

Privacy advocacy group noyb has filed a complaint against LinkedIn, accusing the platform of restricting users’ General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) access rights while charging for the same data through its premium subscription service.

The complaint, filed before the Austrian Data Protection Authority, centres on LinkedIn’s “Who viewed your profile” feature. LinkedIn tracks profile visits and shows users a list of visitors from the past 365 days as part of its paid Premium offering. According to noyb, the same information should also be available free of cost under Article 15 of the EU’s GDPR, which gives users the right to access their personal data.

Questions Over Profile Tracking: NOYB argues that LinkedIn refused to provide this information when a user filed an access request, while continuing to offer it as a paid feature. The group has also questioned whether LinkedIn’s tracking of profile visits itself complies with GDPR rules, saying users are allowed to opt out but are not asked for explicit consent beforehand.

Wider Scrutiny of LinkedIn’s Data Practices: The complaint comes amid wider scrutiny of LinkedIn’s data practices in recent years. In 2024, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission fined LinkedIn €310 million over GDPR violations linked to behavioural analysis and targeted advertising, saying the company lacked a valid legal basis for processing user data for ads.

Separately, LinkedIn also faced a lawsuit in the US in early 2025 over allegations that it used user data for AI training through default opt-in settings. The company had also updated its privacy policies to expand how user data could be shared with Microsoft and affiliate companies for personalised advertising and AI-related features, prompting concerns from privacy advocates over consent and transparency.

noyb’s Argument Against LinkedIn: “Selling data to its own users is a popular practice among companies. In reality, however, people have the right to receive their own data free of charge,” said Martin Baumann, data protection lawyer at noyb. “It is absurd that companies only seem to recognise the importance of data protection when they want to sell data.”

Noyb further argued that LinkedIn cannot cite privacy concerns to deny access requests if it is already willing to share the same data through a paid subscription.

“The protection of the rights and freedoms of others can definitely be a reason for not disclosing shared personal data. However, if a company has sought the relevant consent and is clearly willing to make the same data available for a fee, this argument no longer holds water,” Baumann said.

What noyb Wants: In a LinkedIn post announcing the complaint, noyb said: “fundamental rights should NEVER be a ‘premium feature.’”

The group has asked regulators to direct LinkedIn to fully respond to the access request and impose a fine to prevent similar violations in future.

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