● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportMedium impact1 neutral
LinkedIn wins dismissal of "BrowserGate" lawsuits over scanning user browser extensions
Key points
- Judge dismissed two lawsuits against LinkedIn over browser extension scanning.
- Plaintiffs failed to prove standing, did not show private data was shared.
- Judge stated it is unlikely a privacy violation can be alleged.
- Lawsuits stemmed from a report alleging LinkedIn illegally searched computers.
Lawsuits Dismissed Due to Lack of Standing
A US District Court judge granted LinkedIn's motion to dismiss two class-action lawsuits concerning its practice of scanning users' browser extensions. The judge, Vince Chhabria, ruled that the plaintiffs, Nicholas Farrell and Jeff Ganan, failed to adequately allege they had standing to sue. Neither plaintiff asserted that their browser extensions conveyed private information to LinkedIn.
Unlikely Privacy Violation
Judge Chhabria expressed doubt that the plaintiffs could amend their complaints to make a plausible case. He noted that users voluntarily download browser extensions, which inherently expose data to websites, making a privacy violation unlikely to be proven. The court did not adjudicate the lawfulness of LinkedIn's surveillance practices, only its jurisdiction to hear the claims.
Background of "BrowserGate"
The lawsuits, filed in April, followed a report alleging that "LinkedIn Is illegally searching your computer." LinkedIn did not deny scanning browsers and stated in its privacy policy that it uses cookies and similar technologies to collect information about web browsers and add-ons. The report originated from Fairlinked, a German trade association linked to Teamfluence, an Estonian software company that previously sued LinkedIn.
Next Steps for Plaintiffs
J.R. Howell, attorney for one of the plaintiffs, is evaluating options, including bringing claims in a California state court, which has different standing requirements, or appealing the US district court ruling to the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
A US District Court judge dismissed two class-action lawsuits against LinkedIn regarding its practice of scanning users' browser extensions. The judge ruled that the plaintiffs lacked standing as they did not adequately allege that private information was conveyed to LinkedIn, indicating that a privacy violation is unlikely to be proven.