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Microsoft Privacy Social Networks The Internet

LinkedIn Apologizes For Trying To Connect Everyone In Real Life (vocativ.com) 71

LinkedIn has apologized for a vague new update that told some iPhone users its app would begin sharing their data with nearby users without further explanation. From a report: The update prompted outrage on Twitter after cybersecurity expert Rik Ferguson received a strange alert when he opened the resume app to read a new message: "LinkedIn would like to make data available to nearby Bluetooth devices even when you're not using the app." That gave Ferguson, vice president of research at the cybersecurity firm Trend Micro, a handful of concerns, he told Vocativ. Among them: "the lack of specificity, which data, when, under what conditions, to which devices, why does it need to happen when I'm not using the app, what are the benefits to me, where is the feature announcement and explanation, why wasn't it listed in the app update details." Reached for comment, LinkedIn said it's a mistake -- that some iPhone users were accidentally subject to undeveloped test feature the company is still working on.
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LinkedIn Apologizes For Trying To Connect Everyone In Real Life

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  • It was a mistake (Score:5, Interesting)

    by thegarbz ( 1787294 ) on Friday April 21, 2017 @04:11PM (#54278883)

    you found out about this horrible feature before we officially released it.

    • by tomhath ( 637240 )
      You found out about this horrible feature before you clicked through the EULA without reading it.
      • by zifn4b ( 1040588 ) on Friday April 21, 2017 @04:44PM (#54279175)

        You found out about this horrible feature before you clicked through the EULA without reading it.

        You don't need to read a EULA to understand that social networking is a huge risk to privacy. LinkedIn, in particular, wants your details as transparent as possible because of who pays their bills. That's precisely what they want. They want to know if you're too smart to figure them out or just smart enough to work for them without asking too many questions and to be a good, little subservient drone.

  • by 110010001000 ( 697113 ) on Friday April 21, 2017 @04:12PM (#54278897) Homepage Journal
    I could use this to beg for a job from thought-leaders who happen to be nearby. Then I could move out of my Mom's basement.
  • by Frosty Piss ( 770223 ) * on Friday April 21, 2017 @04:14PM (#54278907)

    Does anyone still take LinkedIn seriously? It's just marketing guys thses days, right? If someone looking for work with my team forwarded their LinkedIn page as a serious part of their resume, I would write them off as morons.

    • Are people really trying to work for a guy named Frosty Piss? Have things gotten THAT bad? Damn you, Trump!
    • I got 800+ connections with recruiter I've talked to over a 20+ year career. If I was doing an active job search, I would be tracking up 32 position and talking or emailing that many recruiters each day. The funny thing is... I've never gotten a job through LinkedIn. I had better luck getting interviews through Indeed.com.
      • by GNious ( 953874 )

        I've gotten people reaching out via LinkedIn about job-offers at various times.
        Admittedly recently it's been for jobs working with my last employer's SCM system, and there's no way in hell I'll subject myself to that shit again*

        *: Both their system, and the employer, who'd likely be a supplier to these companies.

      • by hawk ( 1151 )

        Actually, I've never even *heard* of a case of anyone getting a job offer (or offering one) from linkedin.

        I fail to comprehend why anyone still even looks at it.

        hawk

    • by Anonymous Coward
      Works great for finding the right person in an organization for sales
  • To LinkedIn has decided that they need to become Tinder now? SIlly me, I remember when it was about business.

  • LinkedIn is awesome. When I got an iPhone a few years ago and installed the LinkedIn app, I was able to merge all my Yahoo Mail contacts with LinkedIn profiles. I was able to connect to the 800+ recruiters I've talked to over the last 20+ years. But I still get annoyed that LinkedIn periodically wants to spam all my email addresses again.
    • by DarkOx ( 621550 )

      I was able to connect to the 800+ recruiters I've talked to over the last 20+ years.

      That is most unusual definition of awesome I have ever read.

      • That is most unusual definition of awesome I have ever read.

        If you don't mind being an contractor. My shortest assignment was four hours with four hours of notification. My current assignment is a five-year contract. Some people can't handle the stress of getting a new job and then start planning to get the next job for when the assignment is over.

    • by Anonymous Coward

      You've "talked" to about two recruiters per month over the last 20 years. What did you talk about? How full of shit you are?

      • You've "talked" to about two recruiters per month over the last 20 years.

        These days I typically get 20+ emails and phone calls from recruiters. I'm not even do an active job search. An active job search would be on phone and email for eight hours straight each day (including weekends and holidays).

        What did you talk about?

        Whatever positions they're offering at the moment, if I know of anyone else who would qualify, or what other recruiters are looking for in the marketplace (I don't mind trading info but I detest being pumped for information and will ban recruiters/companies).

        How full of shit you are?

        My shit is quite normal and

    • Wow, 20+ years and 800+ recruiters? You must be making a LOT of money!
  • Inquiring minds want to know then, just what it was then. Did it just enter the code fully formed when nobody was looking?
    • by hawk ( 1151 )

      Spontaneous generation proved at last!

      Take *that*, Mr. Pasteur . . . :)

      hawk

  • by FudRucker ( 866063 ) on Friday April 21, 2017 @04:33PM (#54279083)
    to not trust any social media website with your personal information (are you listening facebook zombies?)
  • The title of this article sounds like something out of The Onion. "Google apologizes for trying to index every webpage in the world". "Intel apologizes for having the hottest CPU's in the industry".

  • Nothing new (Score:5, Interesting)

    by 93 Escort Wagon ( 326346 ) on Friday April 21, 2017 @05:48PM (#54279521)

    This isn't the first time LinkedIn did something shady via their iPhone app. Frankly, I'm not sure why anyone would still trust them enough to install it.

    • Yup I got burned when a small close [x] button was placed right next to a massive 'spam invites/connection requests to everyone you have sent an email to ever without any confirmation' button. I really did want to connect again to my stalking psycho ex and give her the idea I wanted to get back in touch.
      Fuck you LinkedIn. Never again!
  • I like LinkedIn, especially because it is a great way to create ad-hoc industry forums for sharing news on developing niche technologies.

    But its main use for me is allowing me to figure out which company the salespeople I know are working at this week. Before I email a salesperson who I talked with six months ago, I check their LinkedIn to see if they still work at that company.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    LinkedIn is a creepy, kooky, cluster fuck, circus of confusion.

    Why did the www evolve into this clumping together of humans pretending to be social on a website?

  • by ukoda ( 537183 ) on Friday April 21, 2017 @09:14PM (#54280433) Homepage
    My current pet peeve with LinkedIn is the weekly requests for access to my email contact list. Would you employ someone to work with technology who gave out their email password just to share their contact list? I emailed them to complain that if I didn't compromise my security the first time they asked why do they keep on asking? They bounced my email because they couldn't do a reverse lookup on my email server. Apparently a SPF record is not good enough for them, I need to have enough money to be able to pay for service that will allow reverse lookup. A real double standard considering they want access to my contact list.

    While I am complaining, I am really tempted to bounce any incoming emails with a noreply reply address. Is anyone doing that yet? If I am prepared to accept their email I think it is only reasonable they should be prepared to accept my reply.
  • I'll accept their apology when the company shuts down and the senior management is fitted with cement shoes and goes for a swim in the middle of the Atlantic.
  • I'm really tired of being mined for data by every website/app. It's like there isn't any other possible business model. There're some services (not everything) that I'd be happy to pay for if I could be sure they wouldn't harverst and sell data not necessary for its basic functioning. You know, like what software licensing used to be: You pay some money you get a product that does only what it's supposed to.

Lots of folks confuse bad management with destiny. -- Frank Hubbard

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