The author verified their LinkedIn identity through Persona, a third-party company, which collected extensive biometric and personal data including passport scans, facial geometry, and behavioral patterns. This data is shared with 17 US-based subprocessors including AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic, and is subject to US surveillance laws through the CLOUD Act despite being stored in Germany. The author warns that users unknowingly become training data for AI systems and their biometric information could be accessed by US authorities without their knowledge, all for a simple LinkedIn verification badge.