LinkedIn secretly scans users' browsers for 6,000 extensions without disclosure
Image: Primary LinkedIn has been covertly scanning subscribers' web browsers to detect more than 6,000 browser extensions without users' knowledge or consent, raising significant privacy and potential legal concerns, security researchers have discovered.
The Microsoft-owned professional networking platform appears to be conducting the surveillance to identify and potentially block extensions that may interfere with its data collection or enable unauthorized automation. The practice, dubbed 'Browsergate' by researchers, involves JavaScript code that enumerates installed extensions by probing their unique resource signatures.
This fingerprinting technique could expose users' personal workflows, security tools, and browsing habits to the company. Legal experts suggest the scanning may violate the California Consumer Privacy Act and similar regulations requiring disclosure of data collection practices. LinkedIn has not publicly acknowledged the scanning or explained its data retention policies regarding the extension inventory.
The discovery adds to growing scrutiny of how major tech platforms monitor user behavior beyond their own services, with privacy advocates calling for regulatory intervention.
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