Every professional platform in 2026 collects personal data. The differences lie in what is shown publicly, what feeds advertising and AI features, what you can export, and which settings you can change. These panels show where to look on each.
Your public profile can appear in search engines. You choose which sections are public, and whether you appear by name when you view someone else's profile.
Where to check: Settings, then Visibility.
You can request an archive that includes profile details, messages and a connections file. Connection emails are included only where those members allow it.
Where to check: Settings, then Data privacy, then the option to get a copy of your data.
Profile and activity data are used to target ads on and off the platform. Several ad related uses can be limited in settings.
Where to check: Settings, then Advertising data.
LinkedIn has published updates on using member data for generative AI features, with a setting to control it in many regions. Where it applies has changed over time.
Where to check: Settings, then Data privacy, and the LinkedIn privacy policy.
Diagram, illustrative and not a measurement. Switch symbols mean a setting may exist to limit that flow; what is available differs by platform and by country.
What they do with data: store your CV and applications, and on some boards let employers search CVs you mark as visible.
Where the privacy picture stops being simple: once an employer receives your application, its own policies and systems apply, not the board's.
Check CV or resume visibility settings before uploading a full CV with contact details.
What they do with data: often verify identity and hold tax and payment details so they can pay you.
Where it stops: verification documents and financial data are more sensitive than a typical profile, and retention periods are set by the platform and by law.
Read the section of the privacy policy covering identity verification and retention.
What they do: publish posts openly, and on federated networks copies can travel to other servers.
Where it stops: deleting a post may not remove every copy held elsewhere.
What they do: give you control over what is published and what you collect.
Where it stops: collecting subscriber or visitor data can make you responsible for protecting it under data protection law.
What they do: compile business contact details, sometimes about people who never signed up.
Where it stops: accuracy varies, and in many regions you can ask these vendors what they hold about you and request deletion.
This page describes platform settings for general information only. Your rights over personal data depend on where you live. In the European Union and European Economic Area, national data protection authorities are listed by the European Data Protection Board; in the United Kingdom, see the Information Commissioner's Office. Elsewhere, look for your national privacy regulator, or ask a qualified lawyer about your specific situation.
No platform here is simply more private than LinkedIn in every respect in 2026. An open network may show less about your job history but make posts harder to retract. A board may show less publicly but pass your CV to many employers. The fair comparison depends on what you share, with whom, and which settings you are willing to manage.
This panel is published by an independent party for informational purposes. It has no affiliation with LinkedIn Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Indeed, Upwork, Fiverr, Bluesky, Mastodon, Substack, Apollo.io or ZoomInfo, and has not been endorsed, sponsored or authorised by any of them or by any regulator named. Trademarks are owned by their respective holders and appear only to identify the services described. The publisher received no compensation and includes no testimonials or endorsements. Settings, menu names and policies change, sometimes without notice, so confirm the current position with each platform. No level of privacy, security or other outcome is promised or implied.