Reuters reports that iPhone user Adam Bauer has sued LinkedIn over claims the job-focused social network “secretly” read iOS clipboard data often, including the Universal Clipboard that shares copied content with nearby devices. The Microsoft-owned firm was spying on users, according to the lawsuit, and allegedly violated California law in the process.
A spokesperson from LinkedIn said LinkedIn doesn’t store or transmit clipboard data, and that it planned to fix the issue with an app update on July 14th. There was a flawed equality check between the clipboard and what you typed, VP Erran Berger said.
There’s no guarantee the lawsuit will get class action status or move forward at all. It does, however, put added pressure on app creators to limit their access to user data. Even if the intentions are good, users might balk to the point where they’re willing to sue. That could improve overall privacy, if just due to the steep legal costs of ignoring concerns.
