A federal appeals court on Monday rejected LinkedIn’s effort to stop a San Francisco company from using information that users of the professional networking website have deemed public.
The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals let stand an August 2017 preliminary injunction that required LinkedIn, a Microsoft Corp. unit with more than 645 million members, to give hiQ Labs Inc. access to publicly available member profiles.
The 3-0 decision by the San Francisco appeals court sets back Silicon Valley’s battle against “data scraping,” or extracting information from social media accounts or websites, which critics say can equate to theft or violate users’ privacy.
Circuit Judge Marsha Berzon said hiQ, which makes software to help employers determine whether employees will stay or quit, showed it faced irreparable harm absent an injunction because it might go out of business without access.
She also said giving companies such as LinkedIn “free rein” over who can use public user data risked creating “information monopolies” that harm the public interest.
“LinkedIn has no protected property interest in the data contributed by its users, as the users retain ownership over their profiles,” Berzon wrote. “And as to the publicly available profiles, the users quite evidently intend them to be accessed by others,” including prospective employers.
In a statement, LinkedIn said it was disappointed with the decision and evaluating its options, and will “fight to protect our members and the information they entrust” to it.
Lawyers for hiQ did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The case was returned to US District Judge Edward Chen in San Francisco, who issued the injunction.
Craigslist, the classified ad website, had supported LinkedIn’s appeal, warning that the injunction could have a “dangerous impact” by making it easier for “bad actors” to find targets for unwanted email, text or phone-based marketing.
Berzon said, however, hiQ had raised serious questions about LinkedIn’s conduct, including whether it could invoke a federal law targeting computer fraud and abuse to block “free riders” from accessing user data.
“Of course, LinkedIn could satisfy its ‘free rider’ concern by eliminating the public access option, albeit at a cost to the preferences of many users and, possibly, to its own bottom line,” she wrote.
Gregory Garre, a former US solicitor general under President George W. Bush representing craigslist, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Donald Verrilli, a solicitor general under President Barack Obama, represented LinkedIn. Harvard Law School professor Laurence Tribe was one of hiQ’s lawyers.
Microsoft’s LinkedIn loses appeal over access to user profiles
Microsoft’s LinkedIn loses appeal over access to user profiles
- The 3-0 decision by the San Francisco appeals court sets back Silicon Valley’s battle against “data scraping,”
- LinkedIn said it was disappointed with the decision and evaluating its options
Saudi retail spending holds steady near $4bn during early Ramadan, while postal services rise
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s point-of-sale spending remained close to $4 billion in the week ending Feb. 21, even as overall transaction volumes declined during the early days of Ramadan, central bank data showed.
According to the latest data from the Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA, total POS transactions settled at SR13.9 billion ($3.71 billion), representing a 9.3 percent week-on-week decline, while the number of transactions fell 12.5 percent to 220.57 million.
Spending on freight transport, postal and courier services rose 24.4 percent week on week to SR80.68 million, marking one of the strongest sectoral gains as demand for deliveries increased during the holy month.
In an interview with Arab News, Saudi economist Talat Hafiz attributed the broader slowdown in spending to seasonal consumption patterns linked to Ramadan.
“During the first week of Ramadan, consumer behavior typically shifts, as individuals focus more on purchasing goods related to the holy month while reducing discretionary spending,” he said.
SAMA’s report showed that spending on food and beverages increased by 2.1 percent to SR2.62 billion, accounting for the largest share of total POS transactions.
Meanwhile, spending at restaurants and cafes fell by 28.3 percent to SR1.24 billion.
Hafiz said this purchasing pattern is expected to continue as Eid Al-Fitr approaches.
“Spending behavior is likely to shift again, with increased expenditure on travel-related services, apparel, clothing, and accessories in preparation for Eid. During the Eid holiday itself, we can expect a noticeable rebound in spending on recreation, entertainment, restaurants, and cafes,” he added.
Expenditure on public utilities saw an increase of 2.3 percent to SR63.06 million, while spending on apparel and clothing outlays followed with a 4.8 percent decrease to reach SR1.32 billion.
Spending at pharmacies and medical supply outlets decreased by 7.9 percent to SR206.1 million, while spending on medical services fell by 10.6 percent to SR482.53 million. Expenditure on personal care declined by 23.6 percent to SR93.34 million.
The Kingdom’s key urban centers mirrored the negative changes. Riyadh, which accounted for the largest share of total POS spending, saw a 10.8 percent drop to SR4.75 billion. The number of transactions in the capital reached 69.8 million, down 13.3 percent week on week.
In Jeddah, transaction values decreased 11.1 percent to SR1.88 billion, while Dammam reported a 9.1 percent fall to SR678.29 million.
POS data, tracked weekly by SAMA, provides an indicator of consumer spending trends and the ongoing growth of digital payments in Saudi Arabia.
The data also highlights the expanding reach of POS infrastructure, extending beyond major retail hubs to smaller cities and service sectors, supporting broader digital inclusion initiatives.
