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Is LinkedIn helper legal?



Is LinkedIn helper legal?


If you have been using LinkedIn for any length of time then you are probably aware that there is an option available which allows users to automate their interactions on LinkedIn through the use of scripts and bots. This is known as ‘LinkedIn Helpers’ or sometimes just ‘Linked Helper’ (although some refer to them as ‘LinkedIn Automation Tools’).

The reason why many people use these features is because they can save valuable time when interacting with other members of LinkedIn. However, not all companies allow these types of automated functions so if your business has restricted access to these services within its software package then you may need to find another way to help increase productivity. 

We have previously covered various ways you could potentially make money from using LinkedIn including affiliate marketing, selling products, and even creating a blog to generate income - but what happens if you want to create a bot to interact with others on LinkedIn without paying anything out yourself? Is this possible? And more importantly, should it be allowed?

In June 2019, LinkedIn announced that it would no longer support the use of linked helpers after being informed that they were illegal. After receiving several complaints over the years regarding the legality of linked helpers, the company decided to take action against those who used them illegally. In addition, they also removed a number of third party apps which had integrated with linked helpers into their platform, effectively making them useless.

However, we know that most businesses still rely heavily upon LinkedIn to attract new clients, retain existing customers, and promote their brand online. As such, while LinkedIn will continue to ban the use of linked helpers, many small businesses are keen to discover alternative methods to automate their interactions with potential leads, current customers, and prospective employees.

So, let's discuss whether or not linked helper programs are actually legal!

How do I delete a linked helper campaign?

As mentioned above, once you've created a linked helper program, you cannot remove it from LinkedIn itself. To accomplish this task, you'll need to contact the developer directly via email or phone call. Once you do so, you might receive instructions on how to uninstall the app. Alternatively, you may be able to simply logout of your account and delete the application manually.

You must ensure that you don't leave any active campaigns running at the same time though. If you attempt to delete one of your linked helper campaigns before removing it from LinkedIn completely, you risk losing your data. Not only that, but you run the very real risk of getting hit with a lawsuit too.

How much does linked helper cost?

There isn't really a set price point for linked helper programs, although you'll normally pay around $30 per month for each user you wish to track in your system. These prices vary depending upon the type of service offered. For example, if you're interested in tracking leads based upon their location, you may end up spending upwards of $300 per month. But remember, as long as you aren't breaking the law, you shouldn't feel concerned about this amount of expenditure either.



Do I get charged extra if my audience increases?

Unfortunately, the answer here is no. Although you may be tempted to buy additional packages every now and again, you won't be required to pay extra unless you exceed the monthly limit of 100 users.

Does linked helper work with Sales Navigator?

At present, linked helper doesn't appear to integrate with Sales Navigator. So, if you'd like to see exactly where your prospects come from, you'll need to switch to something else. There are plenty of alternatives available, however, so check out our list below if you're looking to replace linked helper with something similar.

How do I connect LinkedIn to LinkedIn Sales Navigator?

To begin connecting LinkedIn to Sales Navigator, you first need to head to the sales navigator website and signup for free. You'll then be presented with a welcome screen detailing your account information. From here, click 'Connect' and follow the prompts to complete the process.

Once this is done, you'll need to install the LinkedIn Sales Navigator plugin onto your Wordpress site. Then, go back to your WordPress dashboard and select Plugin Manager " Add New. Search for LinkedIn Sales Navigator and add it to the sidebar menu. Finally, login to LinkedIn and choose Settings " Connections & Apps. Click on LinkedIn Sales Navigator under the tab labelled Social Plugins. Select the box next to Enable button and click Save Changes.

Now, whenever someone signs up for a product or service through your site, you'll automatically gain insight into how they found you. It's worth noting though, that you won't be able to target specific individuals to purchase from, meaning this feature isn't ideal for B2B marketers.

But hey, if you're planning on targeting individual consumers instead, then this feature is perfect for helping you understand how best to reach them.

Linked Helper's Legal Case

The recent ruling from a California District Court judge has established that Linked Helper does indeed violate copyright law.

In short, the Judge ruled that it was illegal for Linked Helper to create automated programs that allowed users to post messages on behalf of other people without obtaining written permission first. The company had argued that these actions were not against the law because they were only used internally within Linked Helper itself.

However, Judge Marsha Pechman disagreed stating that such automation should be treated no differently than if it had taken place over the internet. In her decision she said that Linked Helper could not claim that its actions were exempt under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) - otherwise all websites would become liable for any copyright infringement carried out by visitors who posted content on their sites.

As a result, Linked Helper was ordered to pay $150,000 (£92,500 / AU$157,600) to the plaintiff for damages caused by the unlawful creation of the program.

The Decision

Judge Pechman took into account the fact that Linked Helper claimed that the software was designed primarily for internal use within the company. However, she felt that even though this might be true at present, it did not mean that the company intended to make good on this promise when creating the bot. She also pointed out that Linked Helper continued to advertise the product online and therefore implied that it was still being sold in 2014.

Finally, she noted that the company had failed to take action against those who violated the terms of service agreement and used the system unlawfully since 2012 despite having received numerous complaints from members of the public regarding similar issues.

It appears that the bot may now be

The recent news that Facebook has filed a lawsuit against Dux-Soup for its LinkedIn helper tool has sparked many discussions on Reddit and Twitter about whether or not using such software can be illegal.

LinkedIn helper was first introduced as an ad blocker back in 2017 but went viral when people found out they could automate their job search process without having to pay a recruiter. The service uses artificial intelligence (AI) to scrape your profile data into a spreadsheet and then allows users to create automated emails and messages based upon what you’ve set up.

This means that if you want to send out hundreds of resumes each day to potential employers, LinkedIn helper will automatically reach out to them. However, there are also reports that LinkedIn itself had asked Dux-Soup to stop offering the product after receiving complaints from some recruiters who were underpaid by those applying through the program.

So, now let's take a look at whether LinkedIn helper actually violates any laws.

What does LinkedIn helper do?

First things first, here’s how LinkedIn helper works. You sign up for a free account which lets you access the platform’s basic features – including looking at profiles, sending invitations to connect with other members, searching jobs etc. After signing up, LinkedIn asks you for permission to view certain information on your profile like gender, education, skills, work history etc., so make sure that you’re happy sharing everything before proceeding.

Once you have signed up, LinkedIn helper will start scraping all of the public info available on your profile. This includes work experience details, educational background, hobbies, interests, recommendations, and more. It might sound scary, but the actual process isn't too complicated either. There are only two steps involved:

1. Choose the type of report you would like to generate and click 'Generate Report'.

2. Click 'Download' next to save the file and open it.

You'll need Excel installed on your computer to see the results of the report. If you don't know how to install Microsoft Office, check our guide to installing Excel here. Once opened, you should find a list of all the columns that appear on your LinkedIn profile.

Here's where things get interesting! Each column is broken down into different categories depending on what kind of content appears within it. For example, if you've got a lot of work experience listed, LinkedIn helper will show you all the companies that you've worked for along with the dates you began working for them. Similarly, if you're interested in seeing what kind of schools you attended, LinkedIn helper will give you a breakdown of every single university you graduated from.

Each category is split into subcategories according to what specific fields contain. So, if you go to Education & Training, you will find several options for courses you took, degrees you earned, qualifications you received etc. These individual subsections will often include links that lead to further pages containing even more detailed information.

Is LinkedIn helper good?

If you think about it, LinkedIn helper makes sense because most people spend hours browsing the site trying to learn new tricks and tips. When someone finds something useful, they share it with friends and colleagues. In turn, these connections help spread the word around. With LinkedIn helper, you can easily keep track of all the valuable information you uncover while learning from others' experiences.

This may seem innocent enough, but there are plenty of concerns regarding privacy issues raised by the practice. While LinkedIn claims that they don't collect personal information, there's no guarantee that they won't change their terms of services later on. If they decide to sell user data to third parties, it's possible that you may end up paying twice for LinkedIn membership.

Another issue is that LinkedIn doesn't allow you to opt out of being included in research studies. As far as we currently know, this is one of the few ways that LinkedIn generates revenue. Some research suggests that LinkedIn earns $200 per month from each member. To put that figure into perspective, that's equivalent to less than half a cent per hour spent on the website.

LinkedIn helper warns users of the risks associated with automating searches on their platform, however, it still goes ahead regardless.

Although LinkedIn says that their AI engine never sees anything sensitive, it does mean that anyone could potentially run across private contact information and photos stored online.

Is LinkedIn helper safe?

It seems likely that LinkedIn helper is going to stay popular until the company decides to ban it altogether. A similar controversy happened last year when Google announced plans to cut off ads from publishers who used blacklists to block certain types of content.

As we mentioned earlier, LinkedIn says that it doesn't store any personally identifiable information, yet it's hard to believe that they'd risk losing money simply because they didn't control the quality of the data collected. On top of that, the fact that LinkedIn offers a premium version of the app that costs $19/month adds another layer of concern.

However, despite the warnings posted by the social media giant, many people remain skeptical about the legality of LinkedIn helper. At present, it seems unlikely that the courts will rule definitively on whether or not the program breaks any existing laws.

For now, the best thing you can probably do is follow the advice offered by the American Bar Association: "Do nothing unless you want to be sued." If you're planning to use LinkedIn helper anyway, you should avoid doing anything controversial like posting political opinions or anything else that could land you in hot water.

How do I get started with LinkedIn helper?

There are three main ways to use LinkedIn helper. First, you can just visit the official website to begin creating reports. Second, you can try downloading the latest beta version of the tool directly via Chrome. Third, you can buy the full version of the app through the App Store.

To use the website interface, navigate to the Advanced Search page and select the option labeled ‘Search LinkedIn Data’. Then, enter keywords related to the subject matter you want to cover. After selecting the criteria, hit Go and wait patiently for the results to load.

When the results come back, copy and paste them into an email message to yourself. Now you're ready to set up your own custom campaign!

Downloading the newest version of the tool through Chrome requires you to enable experimental extensions. Navigate to chrome://extensions and press Ctrl + Shift + X to disable all active extensions. Next, click on More Extensions and scroll down until you locate the section titled Experimental. Enable both the LinkedIn Helper Extension and LinkedIn Helper 2 Beta.

After enabling the plugin, restart your browser and log onto LinkedIn again. From the menu bar, choose Tools > Options... and then select Privacy Settings. Finally, uncheck the box marked Allow LinkedIn to Use My Information to Improve Services. Press Save Changes and close the window.

Now, whenever you sign into the application, you'll receive the following prompt:

"Your LinkedIn data has been updated due to changes made by LinkedIn Helpers."

Click Continue and once logged in, you'll be able to customize your settings. Select Automated Messages and fill in the relevant fields with the information you wish to convey. Make sure that you add a personalized greeting and signature to the bottom of the email. Hit Send Email and sit back while LinkedIn sends your resume to dozens of prospective employers.

While these methods aren't quite as convenient as using the service straight away, they do provide a way to test out the system prior to making a purchase. Plus, since you can always delete your saved files, there's really no harm done.

For a while now, there has been some debate over whether or not using an app called "Linked Helper" is illegal. The controversy began when LinkedIn removed the app from their App Directory and told its users that they were violating the company's terms of service. In response, many people have claimed that Linked Helper is perfectly legal and should be allowed back on the site. However, others disagree with this claim. We've put together everything you need to know about the issue here for your convenience.

What does linked helper do?

The most obvious thing about Linked Helper is that it can help you get more connections through LinkedIn. This includes helping you find new contacts to connect with and getting recommendations from old ones. It also helps automate tasks like writing emails, sending messages, scheduling meetings, and setting up reminders.

In short, it allows you to set up automated processes so you don't have to spend as much time doing things manually. For example, if you're planning on attending a networking event sometime soon, Linked Helper will let you schedule a reminder email to send out to all attendees before hand so you don't miss anything important. Or maybe you need to send out a few hundred invitations and want them sent at different times throughout the day. That would take too long otherwise! With Linked Helper, it only takes one mouse click to set something like that up.

Another way in which Linked Helper lets you save time is by automating certain actions. You could write an entire letter to someone and then tell Linked Helper to send it off automatically whenever possible. There are even ways to make sure your social media accounts post specific content at predetermined times, such as every morning or evening. If these sounds useful to you, check out our guide to the best LinkedIn automation apps.

What is LinkedIn helper2?

If you think Linked Helper looks familiar, that might because it was once known as "LinkedIn Helpers." And although it still uses the name, the app itself has changed quite a bit since being released. Nowadays, it goes by the name "linked helper 2". It's got several features designed specifically for mobile devices, including a revamped user interface (UI) that makes it easier to navigate than ever before.

As well as making it easier to browse profiles and search for potential matches, Linked Helper 2 also offers other helpful features, such as a built-in calendar scheduler, an agenda feature, and integration with third party services. Plus, it has recently added support for Android Wear smartwatches -- meaning you'll be able to access your profile information right from your wrist.

Is Linkedins helper good?

There's no denying that Linked Helper is a handy tool to keep around. But is it worth paying $29.99/year for? Let us explain why we believe it isn't.

Most importantly, it doesn't offer any unique benefits compared to similar apps currently available elsewhere, either online or on iOS. If you don't mind spending money, there are plenty of free alternatives that provide just as much functionality. One of those options is DuxSoup, which is completely ad-free and works across multiple platforms. Another option is Google Calendar for Mac. Both of these apps work offline and allow you to share events between each other and other calendars. They both also integrate with Gmail and Outlook, allowing you to create and manage appointments directly within your inbox.

Also, unlike Linked Helper, neither DuxSoup nor Google Calendar cost anywhere near what Linked Helper charges for a year. While DuxSoup costs $19.95 per month or $49.95 per year, Google Calendar starts at $4.99 per month or $14.99 per year. These prices seem reasonable enough considering how easy they are to install and use, but Linked Helper comes into play when you consider the fact that the app alone costs $29.99 per year.

Finally, some people may argue that LinkedIn is already providing most of the functionality offered by Linked Helper, especially given the extensive amount of data that the platform collects about its members. For instance, LinkedIn offers a Find People Nearby function that shows where everyone who signed up for an account lives based on their current location. So, unless you really need to use Linked Helper exclusively, chances are you could probably just stick to searching for nearby individuals yourself.

Why is linked helper sleeping?

While Linked Helper is certainly handy, there are two reasons why we wouldn't recommend buying it. First of all, there aren't any major updates planned for the app beyond bug fixes and minor improvements. Secondly, despite having a dedicated website, it seems unlikely that anyone is going to invest in developing the app further.

This means that anyone looking to buy the latest version of the software will likely end up purchasing an older copy instead. As such, the price tag attached to a license key for Linked Helper might actually be higher than it needs to be.

So, if you decide to purchase the app anyway, please remember that you won't receive any kind of update after the initial release date. Instead, you'll essentially be stuck waiting until the next big update arrives. Until then, it's highly doubtful that the developer will add any more features whatsoever.



Is it safe to use linked helper?

You shouldn't worry about safety issues related to using Linked Helper. Although the app contains a handful of security vulnerabilities, none of them pose any real threat to your privacy or identity. For starters, it doesn't store any personal information on your device, and it never sends any private details to external servers. Also, the developers say that they haven't received any complaints regarding the app's security.

That said, we advise against downloading the app if you happen to live in Germany. According to the German Data Protection Act, companies offering products and services must ask permission prior to collecting data. In addition, consumers have the right to object to the collection of data without giving consent. Since Linked Helper does collect data, a request to discontinue usage should be made immediately upon noticing any suspicious activity taking place. Otherwise, you run the risk of facing serious penalties.

To learn more about the German law, visit Wikipedia.

If you'd rather avoid dealing with the hassle of visiting a lawyer and filing paperwork, however, you can simply follow this link to see if Linked Helper is illegal in your country.

We hope this article answered the question above and cleared up any misconceptions you may have had concerning the legality of using the app. To recap, using Linked Helper is technically fine as far as UK laws go. However, we strongly suggest avoiding it if you reside in Germany due to legal concerns.

Otherwise, if you live somewhere else, feel free to give it a try and see if it meets your expectations. Just remember to always double check the rules of the countries you plan to travel to before embarking on any journey.


Author

Anyleads

San Francisco

We are the leading marketing automation platform serving more than 100,000 businesses daily. We operate in 3 countries, based in San Francisco, New York, Paris & London.

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