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Why LinkedIn is facing a complaint in Austria
05 May 2026

A leading data protection organization, Noyb (None of Your Business), has lodged a complaint against LinkedIn in Austria for selling user data.

The complaint was filed with the Austrian Data Protection Authority on behalf of a LinkedIn user who requested free access to their data.

The user is demanding a "full response to his access request," and Noyb is also seeking a fine against the Microsoft-owned platform.

What did Noyb say?
Controversy

Noyb claims that LinkedIn cites data protection concerns as a reason for not complying with access requests.

However, the platform also offers a paid premium membership option for users who want to see who has visited their profile pages.

"People have the right to receive their own data free of charge," said Martin Baumann, a data protection lawyer at Noyb.

Noyb questions legality of profile visitor tracking
Legal uncertainty

Noyb has also questioned the legality of LinkedIn's practice of tracking profile visitors without active consent from users.

The organization began working in 2018, following the introduction of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

This regulation was designed to give people more control over how companies handle their personal data.