The Hidden Defaults Changing Data Policy

Your data is being claimed in ways you may not realize. In the last month, two influential platforms, LinkedIn and Claude, changed their default settings so your information can train their AI models unless you take action.

This is not fine print, it's a powershift. If you lead teams, companies, or ideas, these defaults reach into your reputation, your intellectual property, and your leadership credibility.

What Just Happened: The LinkedIn and Claude Updates

LinkedIn Update (Effective Nov 3, 2025): LinkedIn will use member posts, comments, and interactions by default to train its generative AI models unless you opt out in settings. See LinkedIn's Updates to Terms and data use page.

Starting on November 3, 2025, we'll start to use some data from members in these regions to train these content-generating AI models. This may include details from your profile and public content you post on LinkedIn; it does not include your private messages.

Claude (Anthropic) Update (Effective Sept 28, 2025): Anthropic's Claude Free, Pro, and Max accounts now default to ON for using new chats and coding sessions to train AI models. If you don't opt out, your data may be kept for up to five years. See the Anthropic announcement and The Verge coverage.

Why This Matters

• Data Becomes Power: Default opt-ins mean your content and ideas fuel systems without your explicit consent. For leaders, this erodes control over thought leadership and visibility.
• Bias Amplified: Models trained on “whatever is available” embed and scale existing bias. Women's voices risk distortion, misrepresentation, or disappearance altogether.
• Strategic, Legal, and Reputational Risk: These aren't only privacy updates. They impact confidentiality, IP ownership, compliance obligations, and corporate governance.
• Opportunity for Leadership: Leaders who act early can build a culture of vigilance and shape their organization's stance on data and AI.

Immediate Actions to Take

• LinkedIn: Go to Settings → Data Privacy → Generative AI Improvement. Toggle OFF if you want to opt out. Action this immediately.
• Claude / Anthropic: In Settings → Privacy → Help Improve Claude, choose OFF if you don't want your future chats used. Do this before Sept 28, 2025.
• All Platforms: Regularly audit your settings and review T&C changes on an ongoing basis. Make this part of your leadership discipline.

Looking Ahead

In the next 18–24 months expect two powerful forces to shape how leaders show up on AI and data: rising user expectations from customers, employees, and boards demanding transparency, and gradual regulatory scrutiny as the EU AI Act takes effect in 2026 and Singapore, Japan, and the UK tighten their frameworks.

Together, these forces will raise the bar for executive responsibility. Leaders who prepare early will set the tone for what responsible leadership looks like in the age of AI.

The Bottom Line

These updates from LinkedIn and Claude are not small changes. They are early signals of how power, privacy, and AI are being renegotiated. Opting out is necessary but not enough. Leaders must understand the shifts, anticipate the risks, and set the narrative.