Verified LinkedIn users data is shared in shocking ways, report claims
Mashable
February 23, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
A recent report has revealed that LinkedIn, a platform owned by Microsoft, uses a third-party service called Persona for user verification. This process involves sharing significant amounts of personal data with various companies, raising concerns about privacy and data security. When users undergo the verification process to obtain a blue checkmark on their profiles, they may not be fully aware that their information is being accessed by Persona and its network of subprocessors.
Persona collects extensive details from users, including full names, passport photos, facial biometrics, email addresses, phone numbers, physical addresses, IP addresses, geolocation data, device identifiers, and more. This service is also utilized by other major platforms like Roblox and Discord for age verification, further expanding the potential reach of this data collection.
In response to these findings, Persona’s CEO addressed some concerns. He clarified that biometric data is deleted immediately after processing, while other personal information is retained for up to 30 days. Additionally, he explained that not all listed subprocessors are actively used unless specifically chosen by a customer. For instance, AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic are only involved if selected by the client.
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Originally published on Mashable on 2/23/2026