The Digital World at a Turning Point – How Long Will We Still Dare to Post?

Photo: ofotoray

The digital world as we know it is on the verge of a major shift. Platforms that once existed mainly to connect professionals, share knowledge, and build networks are now powerful data sources for artificial intelligence (AI). The question is how much longer users will post content freely, now that it’s clear how their data may be used.

LinkedIn and AI Training: Dutch Regulator Raises Concerns

The Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, AP) has expressed serious concerns about LinkedIn’s plans to use European users’ data to train AI systems. According to the AP (source), this doesn’t just involve profile information but also user-generated content, group activity, and feedback submissions. LinkedIn states that private messages and data from minors will not be used, but the AP warns that most people don’t realize their publicly shared data could end up in AI models.

Monique Verdier, vice-chair of the AP, explains: “Once that data is inside an AI model, you lose control: it can’t simply be removed, and the consequences are hard to foresee.” This is especially problematic for sensitive data such as health, ethnicity, religion, or political views.

Users Have Until November 3

According to both Tweakers and the AP, LinkedIn users in Europe have until November 3, 2025 to change their privacy settings. They can opt out via LinkedIn’s dedicated form.

Trust Under Pressure

This development raises major questions about trust in social platforms. What once was a space for networking and professional exchange now appears increasingly focused on data collection and AI training. This shift could make users more hesitant to post content at all — worried that their words may later feed AI models or be used in unexpected ways.

The Bigger Picture

The LinkedIn case is not isolated. Across the tech industry, public and user data is becoming the fuel for AI systems. This marks a transformation of the internet from an interactive arena to a massive data source. Will this discourage people from speaking freely, or push them toward more guarded online behavior?

Is This Exactly What They Want?

Whether this is a coincidental development or a deliberate strategy is unclear. But if people become afraid to post online, public discourse and knowledge sharing could be fundamentally reshaped. Perhaps that’s exactly what some parties want: a digital world where we share less openly but give away more data without realizing it.