🔒 LinkedIn to use your data for AI—unless you opt out

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Greetings! Your latest quick tech update is here:

☀️ On this day: On September 27, 1998, Google marked its official “birthday.” Although the company was incorporated earlier that month, September 27 came to be celebrated as the day Google was founded, commemorated each year with special doodles on the search engine’s homepage. Today is Google's 27th birthday 🥳

What’s happening:

• 🔒 LinkedIn to use your data for AI training

• 📱 Facebook & Instagram add £2.99 ad-free option

• 🎧 YouTube Music tests AI hosts with trivia & stories

• 🔋 Cheap batteries may hide serious safety risks

• 🎮 EA set for record $50B private buyout

• + 📊 Daily poll and results

• + 📈 Trending tools and resources

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Hand-picked news:

🔒 LinkedIn to use your data for AI training ↗️LINK

• What: LinkedIn will share user data with Microsoft and affiliates to train AI models starting Nov 3, 2025. Users are automatically opted in and must manually opt out in privacy settings. Data includes profiles, resumes, posts, and interactions.

• Why: Microsoft, a key OpenAI investor, seeks more data to improve AI products and personalize ads. LinkedIn frames this under “legitimate interest,” bypassing explicit consent.

• Impact: Privacy concerns loom as opting out only prevents future use—not past data. EU, EEA, Switzerland, Canada, Hong Kong, and likely the UK are covered, with U.S. users also affected through expanded ad data sharing.

📱 Facebook & Instagram add £2.99 ad-free option in UK ↗️LINK

• What: Meta will let UK users pay £2.99/month on web (£3.99 on iOS/Android) to use Facebook and Instagram without ads. Notifications will roll out in the coming weeks.

• Why: The move follows pressure from the UK’s ICO regulator, which said Meta’s old model of forcing personalized ads broke data law. Unlike the EU, UK users won’t get a “less personalised ads” option—only pay or accept ads.

• Impact: The subscription is priced lower than in the EU, where it starts at €5.99. Meta frames this as consumer choice, but critics see it as pushing “consent or pay” models that could spread across digital platforms.

🎧 YouTube Music tests AI hosts with trivia & stories ↗️LINK

• What: YouTube Music is testing AI hosts that share trivia, stories, and commentary about the songs you play. The experiment is part of YouTube Labs, its new hub for AI features.

• Why: The move follows Spotify’s AI DJ launch and builds on YouTube’s recent AI tools, like conversational radio and creator features for Shorts. It aims to make music listening more engaging and interactive.

• Impact: For now, only a limited number of U.S. users can test the feature. If rolled out widely, AI DJs could change how people discover and enjoy music while blurring the line between curation and conversation.

🔋 Cheap batteries may hide serious safety risks ↗️LINK

• What: A new X-ray study of 1,000+ lithium-ion batteries found dangerous defects in nearly 8% of low-cost or fake brands. Problems like anode overhang can cause short circuits, fires, or battery failure.

• Why: Many cheap batteries exaggerate their power (claiming 9,900 mAh but delivering only ~1,300 mAh) and cut corners on quality. Top brands like Samsung and Panasonic had zero defects.

• Impact: Bargain batteries may save money upfront but carry real fire risks. Sticking with trusted brands greatly lowers the chance of buying a defective or unsafe battery.

🎮 EA set for record $50B private buyout ↗️LINK

• What: Electronic Arts, maker of FIFA, Madden, The Sims, and Battlefield, is reportedly nearing a $50B sale to investors including Silver Lake and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

• Why: The deal would be a leveraged buyout, mostly funded by debt, and could become the largest in history. Going private may give EA more flexibility to invest in long-term projects.

• Impact: EA shares surged 15% after the news. If finalized, this would reshape the gaming industry, concentrating major franchises under new ownership with deep financial backing.

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• Identity Jedi Newsletter - This is your space for actionable insights, bold ideas, and a little snark to keep things interesting.

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