LinkedIn Sues ProAPIs for Alleged User Data Scraping
LinkedIn has taken legal action against ProAPIs and its CEO Rahmat Alam for allegedly scraping user data. The lawsuit follows a pattern of similar incidents, with LinkedIn asserting that such activities threaten privacy and trust.
ProAPIs is accused of creating fake accounts en masse - hundreds to thousands daily - to harvest data like profiles, company info, posts, and comments from real users. The company then sells or rents this data for up to $15,000 per month.
LinkedIn argues that this automated scraping violates its terms of use and endangers the privacy of its members. It also alleges that ProAPIs misused its brand logo and trademarks. This isn't the first time LinkedIn has pursued such action; in 2019, it sued HiQ Labs for similar scraping activities.
LinkedIn claims to swiftly detect and suspend these fake accounts, but the brief lifespan of these profiles is sufficient for substantial data collection. A similar incident involving Discord was reported in August, highlighting the prevalence of such practices.
LinkedIn is seeking damages from ProAPIs and its CEO for economic and reputational harm caused by the alleged scraping activities. The company remains committed to protecting user privacy and trust in its platform.
