This is a non-issue. The platform recommended people you may know, and the algorithm was different for two studied populations. The argument is that this led to reduced job prospects for the group with closer contacts, but LinkedIn still provided the platform to allow for any of those opportunities. The contacts themselves may or may not have had opportunities. This is not a direct result of LinkedIn’s study—it’s how people engaged with the platform.

I don’t see an issue with a platform exercising some studies to make itself more useful to its target audience. A/B testing has been a staple in internet testing for decades.