So this is basically fingerprinting extensions? They aren't scanning your system but it's still invasive if they aren't mentioning this anywhere. Seems like a browser level issue, not really illegal in most places, but definitely shady behavior that should be flagged.
this post was submitted on 02 Apr 2026
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Privacy
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Why it's illegal and potentially criminal
LinkedIn scans your browser for installed extensions every time you visit the site. It does this without asking, without telling you, and without any mention in its privacy policy.
Cool! Send the fucking CEO to jail. Send a fucking message. If I break the law, I go to jail, can we PLEASE give them the same treatment already?
Keep dreaming.
- browser extensions
Thanks for pointing it out
I’m glad I didn’t upload my profile pic. I shut the website down in 2016
And they send me over 2.5mb of javascript code for this shit?
Why oh why is the internet such a shit place these days?
Greedy fucking C suite execs. That's why
I’m sorry, how exactly is a website searching my computer from within a locked down browser?
https://browsergate.eu/how-it-works/
I can't tell you if that's technically sound but that's what was said on the page linked...
Oh, browser extensions. And specifically on chromium browsers.
Yeah, that makes much more sense than “any installed software”. It also throws out their claim of this being illegal. Using a browser API endpoint to say “hey do you have this extension” isn’t illegal, at least in most countries.
Is this shitty behavior? Yes. Is this anywhere near what their clickbait title and honestly clickbait article claim? Not in the slightest.
The title is shit but they explain why they think it's illegal: https://browsergate.eu/why-its-illegal/
Eh, I can see how that might work under EU law. So I suppose there’s a potential for it to be illegal in the EU then.
Though I do question the extent that could reach, since “left leaning lesbians looking for work only browser” could be the user agent if someone was so inclined. Admittedly though, that’s outside the scope of this argument.
Okay, so is there a browser plugin that can di ply hide the plugins that I have installed?
Don’t use a chromium browser, from the looks of it.