HK privacy watchdog reminds LinkedIn users to review AI data terms

LinkedIn will begin training its generative AI models on user data starting 3 November, prompting a reminder from Hong Kong's privacy watchdog for users to review the new terms.

The training data includes detailed profile information and publicly posted content. On the same day, LinkedIn will also roll out an updated privacy policy that applies to users in the EU, European Economic Area, Switzerland, Canada, and Hong Kong.

The privacy commissioner for personal data, Ada Chung Lai Ling, has reminded LinkedIn users to pay attention to changes in LinkedIn’s privacy policy and to understand its relevant contents, particularly those relating to the use of users’ personal data for training generative AI models, in order to decide whether to consent to such use.

If users do not wish to authorise LinkedIn to use their personal data for training generative AI models, they can withdraw their consent by navigating to the "data privacy" section in their account settings, selecting "data for generative AI improvement," and turning off the toggle for "use my data for training content creation AI models”. 

The move came after LinkedIn's September 2024 policy change allowed AI training on user data for content creation. Following the PCPD's intervention, LinkedIn suspended this practice for Hong Kong users starting on 11 October 2024.

Between October 2024 and April 2025, the PCPD engaged with LinkedIn to understand the situation and review the details of its proposal. LinkedIn has committed to ensuring that Hong Kong users will retain control over the use of their personal data for training generative AI models, and that such use will comply with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (PDPO), according to the PCPD.

Furthermore, the PCPD has provided LinkedIn with recommendations to safeguard personal data privacy and will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that the personal data privacy of Hong Kong users is safeguarded.

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At the international level, in response to the growing trend of using personal data to train AI models, the PCPD co-launched the “Resolution on the collection, use and disclosure of personal data to pre-train, train and fine-tune AI models” (收集、使用及披露個人資料作預先訓練、訓練及微調AI模型決議) with other privacy protection authorities at the annual conference of the Global Privacy Assembly earlier.

The resolution reaffirmed that the use of personal data for training AI models must comply with relevant laws and data protection and privacy principles, and emphasised the need to strengthen cross-border enforcement cooperation. The resolution was unanimously adopted by more than 130 members at the conference, according to the PCPD. 

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