# Judge dismisses LinkedIn browser-extension scanning lawsuits

_Published Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 10:55 PM EDT · Products, Security · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![A large sculpture with LinkedIn's logo is displayed outside the company's headquarters building. — Primary](https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/linkedin-headquarters-1152x648-1789072079.jpg)

A federal judge dismissed two class actions over LinkedIn's practice of scanning users' browser extensions, ruling the plaintiffs did not adequately allege standing because neither said they had extensions installed that conveyed private information to LinkedIn.

Judge Vince Chhabria of the US District Court for the Northern District of California granted leave to amend but wrote it seems unlikely the plaintiffs could ever allege a privacy violation, given that users voluntarily download extensions that intentionally expose data to websites. Plaintiffs' attorney J.R.

Howell said he is weighing a state-court filing or a Ninth Circuit appeal, and said the ruling did not decide whether LinkedIn's surveillance practices were lawful.

## Sources

- [Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/09/linkedin-beats-browsergate-lawsuits-over-scanning-users-chrome-extensions/)
- [Techmeme](https://www.techmeme.com/260911/p10#a260911p10)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/95Ga5A8gyJuKGxNdtUNsPG
Published: 2026-09-11T02:55:55.003Z
Story chronology: 2026-09-10T20:55:29.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-26T07:19:49.479Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)