Getty Images/Mandel Ngan
VentureBeats reports that LinkedIn used to let users download all of their contacts into an offline file, which was a pretty useful feature.
But LinkedIn said on Thursday that it would no longer let users easily download a list of their contacts.
There's still a way to get your contacts, though. LinkedIn points out that users can request an archive of their data, and it will contain contacts. But that process can take up to 72 hours, unlike the site's former contact download feature, which happened immediately.
Many users aren't happy about the change, and some are accusing LinkedIn of using it to try to keep people on the platform:
this is absolutely horrible, even by @LinkedIn's normal walled garden standards: https://t.co/AVAlQv03Qn
- Mitali Pattnaik (@mitali) July 24, 2015
whoa - scumbaggery at its finest RT @bartlorang: Wow. @LinkedIn Just Removed the Ability to Export YOUR Contacts https://t.co/1WwIyOchE2
- Chris Conrey (@conrey) July 23, 2015
Seems @LinkedIn think it's OK now to make you wait 3 days to export your contacts. Not sure how this improves #UX #loyalty
- Justin Kirby (@juzzie) July 23, 2015
Another nail in the coffin for @LinkedIn? https://t.co/DvwI1LdPoX
- Brad van Leeuwen (@BradvanL) July 24, 2015