Stop LinkedIn from stealing my contacts!

[obidamnkenobi]

LinkedIn keeps stealing (they call it "syncing") my gmail address book, and I am unable to stop it! My gmail contacts and calendar is listed as a syncing source, but there is not "remove" option!

In my google account linkedIn is not listed as a connected app. I removed contact permission from the LI app on my phone.

I even deleted my gmail from LI and used one with no contacts, the original contacts synced back! The "manage sync sources only has an option to "sync now" which brings up the permission card from google. Hilariously if I click deny it still does it! Eh, why ask when you do it anyway..?

Now I'm debating between deleting my whole account or suing them for data-theft (or both)

edit: sometimes now clicking "manage sources" will show a Remove button. However clicking it just sync my contacts back in.. That is the original contacts, NOT the ones actually in the account it's supposedly syncing!

 

[corkyg]

They are not stealing it - Google is selling it to them.

 

[Unico]

Given that LinkedIn is now a Microsoft company you should close down your existing account and create a new one. Use a new MS live email account with no associated contacts. And then archive that MS email account. And don’t use LinkedIn on your phone – seriously why bother.

Personally I don’t care about this problem of account linkages. Too many people already know me and what I have done, and what I want to do in the future. For me, most of the account linkages are harmless – its a who's who of who’s done what and when.