European data protection group Noyb filed a formal complaint against LinkedIn in Austria in May 2026, accusing the Microsoft-owned platform of selling user data without properly complying with data access requests.
Noyb — short for “None of Your Business” — submitted the complaint to the Austrian Data Protection Authority on behalf of a LinkedIn user seeking full access to his personal data. The group is also requesting that a fine be imposed on LinkedIn.
According to Noyb, LinkedIn cites data protection concerns as its reason for not fulfilling user access requests — a position the group describes as contradictory. At the same time, LinkedIn asks users to purchase a paid premium membership if they wish to see who has visited their profile pages.
“People have the right to receive their own data free of charge,” said Martin Baumann, a data protection lawyer at Noyb.
The group also raised questions about whether LinkedIn’s tracking of profile visitors is legal, noting that the company does not seek active consent from users for this practice.
The complaint is grounded in the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the landmark privacy law that took effect in 2018 and is designed to give individuals greater control over how companies use their personal information. Noyb has been active since the GDPR’s introduction and has filed hundreds of legal cases against major tech companies, many of which have prompted regulatory action.
The complaint suggests LinkedIn may face scrutiny from Austrian regulators, though the outcome of the proceeding remains to be determined.
Source: Tech-Economic Times