LinkedIn’s secret marketing tactic that got them SUED

Name: LinkedIn’s secret marketing tactic that got them SUED
Uploaded: 2024-10-29T03:58:22+00:00
Duration: 59 s
Channel: Hiten Shah
Description: A short narrated account describing LinkedIn’s 2011 contact-import marketing tactic that requested access to users' email contacts, displayed the first…

29 Oct 2024 · 1 min

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A short narrated account describing LinkedIn’s 2011 contact-import marketing tactic that requested access to users' email contacts, displayed the first 10 contacts with a scrollable list, and sent invitation emails to many contacts (including two automated follow-ups). The practice generated massive viral growth but led to litigation; courts found users consented to importing contacts and the initial email but not the follow-up messages, and the parties settled with LinkedIn paying $13 million.

Questions this video answers

2011

Two follow-ups

Importing contacts and sending the first email only (no consent for follow-ups)

$13 million

The first 10 contacts

Chapters

Should this marketing tactic be legal? It made LinkedIn mega viral, but it also got them sued. So in 2011, LinkedIn asked for access to your email contacts. If you said yes, you saw a screen asking to invite them. It was a list of everyone you've ever replied to through email. But only the first 10 were showing and you had to scroll to see the rest, so it didn't seem like much. But if you hit add to network, you set off a viral explosion. LinkedIn would send an invite from your email to everyone on that list. It was often hundreds of people, and if they didn't respond, it would follow up twice. Once they signed up to LinkedIn, they could start the loop again by inviting all their email contacts. LinkedIn grew like crazy while this was live, adding hundreds of millions of users. But was it legal or not? The courts found users did consent to importing contacts and sending the first email, but there was no consent for the follow ups. And the parties agreed to settle with LinkedIn paying out $13 million to users. Sound fair to you?