I wanted a blue badge on LinkedIn. To get it, I gave a US company my passport, my face, and my biometric data. Then I read the fine print.

Hacker News is a community-driven platform for sharing and discussing technology news, startups, and programming-related topics. Through user submissions and comments, Hacker News offers insights into emerging technology trends, industry developments, and entrepreneurial ventures. Readers can participate in discussions, share their insights, and stay informed about the latest advancements in technology and innovation.

Hacker News

A deep-dive investigation into what LinkedIn's identity verification actually collects. When you click 'verify' on LinkedIn, you're redirected to Persona Identities Inc., a third-party company that collects passport scans, facial geometry, NFC chip data, behavioral biometrics, and device fingerprints. Persona cross-references this data against credit agencies and government databases, uses passport images to train AI models under 'legitimate interest' (not consent), and shares data with 17 subprocessors — including Anthropic, OpenAI, and Groqcloud — all based in the US or Canada, with zero EU processors. The US CLOUD Act means data stored in Germany can still be accessed by US authorities. Liability in case of a breach is capped at $50 USD. The post recommends requesting data deletion via Persona's privacy email and contacting their DPO to object to AI training use.

I Verified My LinkedIn Identity. Here's What I Actually Handed Over.

The CLOUD Act: Why Frankfurt Doesn’t Protect You

“But There’s the Data Privacy Framework!”

<p>I hate that i verified with them before. Its a horrible service.</p>
