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LinkedIn Is Illegally Searching Your Computer (browsergate.eu)
submitted 6 months ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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Microsoft is running one of the largest corporate espionage operations in modern history. Every time any of LinkedIn’s one billion users visits linkedin.com, hidden code searches their computer for installed software, collects the results, and transmits them to LinkedIn’s servers and to third-party companies including an American-Israeli cybersecurity firm.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47613981

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[–] 20 points 6 months ago* (3 children)

In what fucking world is it “normal” or “sensible” to scan your browser extensions to decide how to render a page? Please explain.

I’ve been doing web development for 30 years (since the time when “SSR” was just called “building a web app”) and I have not once ever had the desire or need to do this.

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  • [–] 0 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    The reason is fingerprinting. Verrrry old technique. Adtech stuff. You might collect browser extension, webgl information, CPU core count, screen resolution, IP address, reverse dns, locale, headers, user agent, akamai hash, etc. The reason is so that these metrics can then be enriched to build a consumer profile and used in analytics

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  • [–] 1 point 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

    Thanks, I worked in adtech for a number of years so I’m aware of this use case. I could tell some stories that would likely surprise you at how sophisticated that industry has been for a long time, even as long as 10-15 years ago.

    But the parent post specifically said this was “sensible” and maybe “normal” to do this to decide how to render a page. My question was specifically how that claim makes sense at all.

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