The lawsuit was filed in a California federal court on behalf of a LinkedIn Premium user and “all others” in a similar situation.

The filing also said LinkedIn changed its ‘frequently asked questions’ section to say that users could choose not to share data for AI purposes but that doing so would not affect training that had already taken place.

“LinkedIn’s actions… indicate a pattern of attempting to cover its tracks,” the lawsuit said.

“This behaviour suggests that LinkedIn was fully aware that it had violated its contractual promises and privacy standards and aimed to minimise public scrutiny”.

According to an email LinkedIn sent to its users last year, it has not enabled user data sharing for AI purposes in the UK, the European Economic Area and Switzerland.

Additional reporting by Lily Jamali