LinkedIn U-turns on Bluetooth-enabled 'Tinder for marketers' LinkedIn irked privacy advocates by dropping a Bluetooth-enabled "Tinder for marketers" feature into its mobile app on Thursday. Respected security researcher Rik Ferguson was nonplussed at changes in LinkedIn's mobile app that threw up a pop-up requesting permission to share data with nearby Bluetooth devices even when users …
The worst case of data slurp I have ever seen. Every time you start it it gives you 5+ screens where it tries to leach more data.
While you can somewhat tame the web version using nuclear winter levels of noscript and adblock, the mobile one cannot be subjected to such quarantine so it has to be eradicated with extreme prejudice.
> While you can somewhat tame the web version using nuclear winter levels of noscript and adblock,
I've gone a bit far and broken it, it'll load and then get stuck waiting for something or other that I've blocked to load.
Just hasn't seemed worth the effort of troubleshooting it vs just not going there.
The worst case of data slurp I have ever seen.
Data slurp, eh? And who owns LinkedIn?
Well, there's yer problem...
It admitted the delivery of the prompt to enable this feature was a bit off and promised a prompt revision.
Har har.
But seriously. According to the article this update was pitched as including only "general bug fixes and performance improvements". This is one of my pet peeves at the moment - marketroids abusing the update process to foist new features that benefit them, and lying to us about it.
Want us to keep up-to-date with security patches? Want us to accept SaaS-type continuous updates?
Well, that requires trust that the updates are necessary and will benefit us, not annoy us.The way they're going, all they're doing is causing more and more people to switch off auto-update systems (I myself have disabled the Windows Update service on my Windows boxes, for the first time ever - I simply don't trust MSFT any more).
They con new members into "sharing" all their email address books and then spam all the people on that.
So I left it a few years ago. It was originally recommended about 10 years ago by co-workers. It's a mess and I wonder did MS only buy it for the database?
If I installed an App and it did that, I'd remove it. But I can't see the point of Apps for websites. If websites are designed properly they work even on a pre-iPhone phone with browser. Isn't the real purpose of app alternatives to websites to maximise adverts to users and maximise user info gathered inc. location.
I wonder are a lot of apps (never mind websites) breaking EU laws?
Did you actually manually delete the app, or did you "will it" to uninstall? :)
Sorry, couldn't resist, had an old acquaintance with that surname and would pull that old chestnut out for no reason whatsoever.
And David 132 said "marketroids abusing the"
STOP right there! Marketing abuses anything and everything for the hard-sell. They would cook and eat their own mothers, if it meant an extra point on the stock price, or another sale at the reg. Marketing sticks its nose into a nice product and turns it into shit (like GoPro). Marketing is why we don't have REALLY nice things.
Marketing pissing away millions of dollars to send message to people who are fed up with Marketing pissing away millions of dollars to send message to people who are fed up with Marketing pissing away millions of dollars to send message to people who are fed up with Marketing pissing away millions of dollars to send message to people who are fed up with Marketing pissing away millions of dollars to send message to people who are fed up with ...
Am about to delete the app, and indeed my whole damned account. Fed up with unsolicited 'connect' requests from people (agency pimps) who I've never heard of who mostly don't even bother introducing themselves.
The only reason I still have an account on LinkedIn is that I have links to numerous ex-colleagues who have gone to other organisations. Is sometimes a useful way to ping them when I can't find their new email address. That might have to change.
Yup LinkedIn is just a cattle market. We're the cattle. Agents and their ilk are sold subscriptions to prod and poke us.
Never accept a link request from an agent. If they get the link they can send you unsolicited email and see your contacts and start inviting them. LinkedIn provides them with tools to type "java" into the engine and then spam every matching result regardless of relevance / interest or not.
If you're not linked they have to use one of their limited In-mails to communicate. That motivates them to practice some due diligence and only bother you with high quality jobs because they only get 100 In-Mails per month to spend.
I still ignore the In-Mails :) It's my way of devaluing LinkedIn's service. 90% of the time I can figure out what job they're dangling in front of me anyway and assuming I was interested I'd make sure not to go via any LinkedIn communication.
> an update that billed itself as only offering "general bug fixes and performance improvements".
Perfectly true. They just 'forgot' to mention that the 'performance' in question is LinkedIn's financial performance.
FWIW, 99.9% of all the spam that I'm receiving at the moment comes to the address I used for LinkedIn.
Not sure if the article referred to Windows 10 but W10 has similar feature ("Let your apps automatically share and sync info with wireless devices that don’t explicitly pair with your PC, tablet, or phone") enabled by default - very helpful indeed (setting>privacy>other devices - likely keeps shifting around with every update to confuse users).
People leave their wifi and Bluetooth on?
I turn everything off that not absolutely necessary (at that moment).
Anytime an app ask for something I reject it. With the exception of Google getting my location for Maps.
No prompts allowed from apps, sharing data NO.
Badges? What the F is badges? Disabled.
Location services NO
LinkedIn... I got spammed from them years ago. They're already on the app F NO list.
I just got an updated privacy policy in my inbox which notifies me of the following new feature:
Easily meet up with other members - You’ll have the ability to see members nearby who have also opted-in, so it’s easier to meet up when you’re at a conference or out for lunch.
So this feature is coming like it or not (probably as an attempt to use location API in the browser as well).
On the positive side, this will allow to build an excellent IoT application - directed bullsh*t thrower - locate a nearby "visionary leader" scumbag and throw what he usually produces (bovine excrement) directly at him.
I regularly used this very reason as a means to explain why don't mind the lack of apps of Windows Mobile 10. Other than banking, maps, Plex and RadioPlayer I just pin web sites to my start screen and use that rather than the 'app', even if WM has an app. 9/10 it's faster, has all the features and less privacy invasion.
Yet it's the lack of apps that people say put them off WM...
Why does every Web site believe that I need or want a dedicated app to access their services? Especially since most Apps are piss poor in terms of usability, and demand ridiculous access to stuff they don't need.
95% of my browsing is perfectly fine as long as a proper mobile site is available.
Yes, they are legally obliged to steal all your phone data and hand it over to marketers if it's an app. If it's a website, they can't see your phone number etc. since you might be on a PC etc.
Personally I gave up on LinkenIn because it is just Facebook that gets past the corporate firewall. So many 'friend' requests because I know someone, others want to know me. Buy me a drink (or two) and then get to know the real me :-)
They merely want to know my location at all times, all my contacts, take over other functions of my phone, automatically share my pictures, know who I'm standing close to (via bluetooth) and run continuously in the background so my battery life suffers.
No thanks.
As a website LinkedIn is a take-it-or-leave-it affair always probing for more data but safely contained. I can't imagine having this bullshit running continuously in my pocket the entire time. Same for Facebook.
People! Settle down! You're getting irate over little nitpicks when you could be building a reputation!
Can't you see it? These awesome benefactors have given us the perfect Conference Hookup App! Think about it. The actual Tinder can allow any crazed bunny-boiling stalker to scope your profile. The new LinkedIn-HookedUp feature opens the door for you to shag the night away with a respected peer in your field. They know you're busy and distracted (flights, hotels, cabs, argh) and don't want you to miss out so it helpfully pops up to remind you. Although they should reword the popup message for greater uptake, maybe like:
"CLICK HERE FOR TOTAL HEDONISM."
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