LinkedIn (Microsoft): Surveillance Profile

Minimizing LinkedIn's data collection requires careful navigation of its extensive settings. Go to Settings & Privacy > Account Preferences > Site Preferences and review visibility options. Under 'Visibility,' change 'Profile viewing options' to 'Private mode' if you do not want your browsing to be tracked. Restrict who can see your connections, last name, and profile information. Under 'Data Privacy,' go to 'How LinkedIn uses your data.' Disable 'Manage your data and activity' options for salary data, job seeking preferences, and other sensitive categories. Turn off 'Get more relevant ads' and 'Share data across LinkedIn's family of companies.' Under 'Advertising Data,' disable all categories including profile data for ad personalization, interest categories, audience insights, and third-party data. Go to 'Third parties' and disable data sharing with research partners. Under 'Social, Economic, and Workplace Research,' opt out of having your data used for research purposes. Disable 'Connections sync' to prevent LinkedIn from continuously uploading your phone contacts. Review 'Permitted Services' and remove apps you no longer use. Under 'Communications,' turn off most notification types to reduce engagement tracking. Stop importing contacts and remove previously imported ones. Avoid using LinkedIn's mobile app when possible, as it collects more device data than the website. Use the web version with a privacy-focused browser and tracker-blocking extensions. Do not use LinkedIn's salary or job search tools, as this data is monetized. Be aware that even private-mode browsing generates metadata that LinkedIn uses. Consider building a personal website or portfolio as your professional presence instead, giving you full control over your data.