Here's a feature on LinkedIn I didn't know about: reference search . Available only to premium (a.k.a. paying members), it allows them to find contacts who have worked at the same companies at you. So the scenario is - You are applying for a job at Company X. The recruiter at or for Company X is a LinkedIn premium subscriber; he can "research" who works or worked at your current company, Company Y. He can reach out to those people and ask about you, "as a reference," even without your knowledge. So these are references, but ones you do NOT select or put forward. Yikes! If Coworker A at Company Y does not like you, he can give you a bad "reference" and wreck your job prospects. Reference Search Exists Whether You Like It, Or Not Many people - myself included - didn't even know this feature existed. And now there's a lawsuit about it on privacy grounds. The thing about Internet privacy in general is that, pretty much, you should...