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AP Photo/Paul Sakuma
Sneak Peak
LinkedIn clamps down on browser plug-in which reveals users' email
The site is issuing a cease and desist letter to Sell Hack, a browser plug-in which allows you to view an account’s email address, even if you’re not connected.
LINKEDIN IS TAKING legal action against a browser plug-in which shows the email accounts of any user, even if they’re not connected.
Sell Hack, a browser plug-in which is available as a free extension on Chrome, Firefox and Safari, installs a “hack in” button on LinkedIn profiles.
Once a user is logged in to the site, they can then use this button to view an account’s email address.
On its site, the makers say what they’re doing is legal because it’s uncovering information that is already available publically.
The data we process is all publicly available. We just do the heavy lifting and complicated computing to save you time. We aren’t doing anything malicious to the LinkedIn website.
We think browser extensions are the best way to personalize an individuals web experience. We love LinkedIn and are trying to make it better for the community.
LinkedIn, however, thinks differently and its legal team is delivering Sell Hack a cease and desist letter as “a result of several violations.”
It has advised all of its members to uninstall the plug-in if they’re already using it, and to use caution before downloading any third-party extension or app.
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