LinkedIn wins "BrowserGate" lawsuits over browser extension scanning
LinkedIn has defeated two lawsuits alleging it scanned users' browser extensions. A judge dismissed the cases, ruling plaintiffs failed to show they suffered harm from the practice.
LinkedIn, a subsidiary of Microsoft, has successfully fended off two lawsuits concerning its practice of scanning users' installed browser extensions. A judge dismissed the cases on Tuesday, ruling that the plaintiffs lacked standing to sue.
U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria stated that the users who sued LinkedIn did not adequately allege that they had standing to sue. Specifically, neither plaintiff asserted that they "had browser extensions installed that conveyed private information to LinkedIn," according to the ruling.
While Judge Chhabria granted the plaintiffs leave to amend their complaints, he expressed skepticism about their ability to build a viable case. "Given LinkedIn’s further arguments that users voluntarily download browser extensions, which by their nature intentionally expose data to websites, it seems unlikely that the plaintiffs will ever be able to allege a privacy violation, much less prevail at the end of the day," the judge wrote.
The lawsuits were filed separately in April by California residents Nicholas Farrell and Jeff Ganan. Ganan's attorney is currently evaluating options, including appealing the district court's ruling or refiling the claims in a California state court, which may have different standing requirements.