"Every time you visit LinkedIn in a Chrome-based browser, a hidden JavaScript routine silently probes your browser for more than 6,000 installed extensions, collects 48 hardware and software characteristics about your device, encrypts the resulting fingerprint, and attaches it to every API request you make during your session."
"LinkedIn calls its scanning system 'Spectroscopy.' When a user loads the LinkedIn website, the script fires off up to 6,222 simultaneous requests, each one probing for a specific browser extension by attempting to access files associated with that extension's ID."
"The entire operation runs silently in the background, without a visible prompt or notification, and is not disclosed in LinkedIn's privacy policy."
LinkedIn employs a JavaScript routine that scans for over 6,000 browser extensions and collects 48 device characteristics each time a user visits. This process, known as 'BrowserGate,' operates without user awareness or mention in the privacy policy. The routine, referred to as 'Spectroscopy,' sends encrypted fingerprints of users' devices to LinkedIn's servers, linking them to user actions during the session. Critics argue this constitutes covert surveillance, while LinkedIn claims it is a security measure. The investigation into this practice was confirmed by independent testing.
Read at TNW | Insights
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