LinkedIn stealing GMail contacts

42 points by xyzzyz 12y ago ↗ HN

LinkedIn just suggested to add to my network a GMail email address I created 8 years ago, and never used for any purpose (there are 3 mails on that account, all from Google). The only link between that account and my real account is an email I got from Google 8 years ago notifying me that a person invited by me created a GMail account.

I never gave a password to my GMail to LinkedIn. I suspect the way they got that contact is by LinkedIn Android app I briefly had installed on my phone two years ago, which somehow grabbed all contacts I had in GMail (the act I never consented to). Is LinkedIn mobile app known to do that?

The lesson: if you don't want LinkedIn to have all your contacts, the only way is to avoid LinkedIn completely.

5 comments

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aroch 12y ago ↗

This is well known, is it not? LinkedIn has been harvesting user contact details since the start

chromano 12y ago ↗

Correct, also I think they were one of the first to implement something like that, influencing a lot of other websites to do the same. Bad LinkedIn!

eugmill 12y ago ↗

If you're willing to run a custom android rom, Cyanogenmod has a feature called privacy guard which can blocks apps from accessing your contacts, even if you grant it permission when installing.

In short, it just feeds an empty data set when the app tries to get your info.

who8mylunch 12y ago ↗

Thanks for pointing out this feature of CyanogenMod. I took a look at after reading your comment and I was really quite surprised at how many apps on my phone were asking for stuff I didn't think they should have access to. And of course LinkedIn was one of them too.

dm2 12y ago ↗

I just assume that all apps, webstites, and companies harvest all the data they can get their hands on by default, especially LinkedIn. Most clients that I deal with ask for as much data as possible from apps and sites.

I refuse to even use my LinkedIn account because they offer so much "who viewed your profile" and apps like Intro (where they basically harvest ALL of your emails).