Microsoft’s LinkedIn has been sued by Premium customers who said the business-focused social media platform disclosed their private messages to third parties without permission to train generative artificial intelligence models.

According to a proposed class action filed on Tuesday night on behalf of millions of LinkedIn Premium customers, LinkedIn quietly introduced a privacy setting last August that let users enable or disable the sharing of their personal data.

Customers said LinkedIn then discreetly updated its privacy policy on Sept. 18, 2024, to say data could be used to train AI models, and in a “Frequently Asked Questions” hyperlink said opting out “does not affect training that has already taken place.”

This attempt to “cover its tracks” suggests LinkedIn was “fully aware” it violated customers’ privacy, and its promise to use personal data only to support and improve its platform, to minimize public scrutiny and legal fallout, the complaint said.