A browser plug-in that obtains email ids of LinkedIn users has drawn sharp reactions from the company while raising concerns about user data vested with the professional social networking services provider.
BBC reported that a browser extension called Sell Hack allows users to obtain email information of other users even if they are not connected. On installing the extension tool, users will see a 'Hack In' button when they visit profile pages of other users. Clicking this button reveals the other person's email id.
According to Yahoo Tech, Sell Hack is not breaking into LinkedIn systems but is running an algorithm that checks publicly available data to guess the other person' s e-mail address.
BBC said Sell Hack is promoting the feature to marketers and salespersons. "We just do the heavy lifting and complicated computing to save you time, we aren't doing anything malicious to LinkedIn," Sell Hack reportedly said on its website, BBC pointed out.
"The catch is, even after you've used SellHack, the extension is able to watch your activity on the site and collect the information of any direct connection whose page you've decided to visit. What it's using this information for is unclear," Yahoo Tech said.
LinkedIn has been urging users to uninstall the plug-in and contact Sell Hack to clear their data, Gigaom reported. It also cautioned users about information theft.
"We advise LinkedIn members to protect themselves and to use caution before downloading any third-party extension or app. Often times, as with the Sell Hack case, extensions can upload your private LinkedIn information without your explicit consent," Gigaom quoted the company saying.
The company has also said it was doing everything to shutdown Sell Hack which it emphasis is not a result of a security breach or a loophole in Linkedin. The plug-in is available for Firefox, Chrome and Safari.
