Days after LinkedIn changed the way users could export their contacts list from the popular online networking platform, it’s back up.
The site announced that the ability to export contacts without downloading a complete archive of data, which could take up to 72 hours, is live again. Members of the site were unhappy that they’d have to wait in order to retrieve their data. But it appears the networking service heard those complaints and wanted to make a change to the controversial decision – quickly.
“Earlier this week, we turned off our CSV connections download tool and asked our members to use another data export process as part of our ongoing efforts to combat the inappropriate export of member data by third parties,” according to Michael Korcuska, LinkedIn’s vice president of product management, wrote in a post on July 25. “This process delivered more data but took longer, usually 24 hours but in some cases up to 72 hours.”
He added, “Since that change, we’ve heard you loud and clear — that is too long to have to wait for a download of connection information. Effective immediately, we have turned the CSV download link back on.”
“We believe that the data our members enter into LinkedIn is theirs and they should be able to export it,” Korcuska continued. “We are sorry for the inconvenience this caused and resolve to do better in the future.”