LinkedIn denies hacking user email accounts
Employee and employer social network LinkedIn has denied allegations that the company hacked into its users' email accounts.
In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court, San Jose, California, as reported by Bloomberg, customers suing the website have requested that LinkedIn be barred for repeating a number of alleged violations -- including enabling spamming, impersonating users, and dipping into email accounts without permission.
In addition, the customers want LinkedIn to return any revenue sourced from these practices.
The claimants allege that in order to promote the website virally, LinkedIn accessed their email accounts without permission. One former member says that the company sent out over 3,000 invitations to connect to her email contact list and peripheries, and another says over 200 invitations were sent without permission -- including to contacts with embarrassing consequences.
Linkedin senior director of litigation Blake Lawit wrote in a blog post titled "Setting the Record Straight on False Accusations" that the claims are untrue -- and that LinkedIn does not "break into" member email accounts.
Lawit says that the company stands behind the slogan "Members First," and the firm does not access email accounts without permission, will not pretend to be a member to access such accounts, and does not send messages or invitations on your behalf without consent. In addition, Lawit says:
"We do give you the choice to share your email contacts, so you can connect on LinkedIn with other professionals that you know and trust. We will continue to do everything we can to make our communications about how to do this as clear as possible."
Via: The Enquirer
Related:
- The app that offers a detailed map of your entire life
- The reasons your online business isn't working
- Should Internet access remain free and open?
- Twitter CEO Dick Costolo's two rules on being a leadership superpower
- How ad-blocking software is bad news for business and consumer
Image credit: Flickr
This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com