“Privacy not affected by acquisition LinkedIn” – Reformed Daily

Should users of LinkedIn fear for invasion of privacy now the business social networking company is most likely acquired by Microsoft? Jarno Duursma and Jeroen Bertrams, experts in social media, do not think it will come to that.

“Microsoft wants to take over LinkedIn to get better access to business users of social media,” Duursma said in a response to the message that Microsoft’s $ 26.2 billion (23.2 billion euros) for the acquisition of LinkedIn will pull out.

“Through LinkedIn Microsoft will have access to approximately 400 million professionals and potential users of all Microsoft products. Earlier, the multinational already using Yammer provides access to business users of social media. “

Duursma not think Microsoft with the acquisition to do specifically for access to private data of users of LinkedIn. “People put there especially information that may know the world. Users put there not things that they do not want to lose. “

Jeroen Bertrams shares that view. “LinkedIn is anyway a public profile. The only thing you can not find directly on a person’s profile to LinkedIn’s his email address. “

And those email addresses Microsoft is not too aces, thinking Duursma. “Through Hotmail and Windows Live knows Microsoft hundreds of millions or even billions of email addresses.”

Access

Bertrams suspect that Microsoft through the proposed acquisition, in particular, will have access to the smaller freelance professionals. “I can imagine it by offering the acquisition is easier products like Office 365 that smaller professionals.”

After the acquisition, it is intended that LinkedIn will retain its name, corporate culture and independence. Co-founder and current CEO Jeff Weiner will continue to lead the company, Microsoft said. “Over time, LinkedIn’s services will be linked to those of Microsoft. LinkedIn users must agree to the terms and conditions of Microsoft, “said Bertrams. “That means that Microsoft may have information of LinkedIn users. But it will still take a while before it happens. I think it still is a matter of years. “

Duursma stressed that there are many rules to protect Internet users against violation of their privacy. He mentions among other anti-spam and privacy law. Duursma also emphasizes that it is primarily the users themselves who can protect their privacy.

Robbery

Last week advised protector and Kaspersky researcher Brian Krebs Internet users to change their passwords. They did this in response to the theft in recent years hundreds of millions of usernames and passwords to sites like LinkedIn, Tumblr and Myspace. Even the social media accounts of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg had hacked.

“There is no doubt that we ourselves have a great responsibility with regard to the protection of our privacy on the Internet,” said Duursma. “Take the trouble more often to update your password and check your settings. It is with social media, like for example the separation of waste. You can add to another point and say that it must do something. But it is especially important that you do something. “