In an official blog post, LinkedIn has shared that the company took action on 21.6 million fake accounts between January and June 2019.
LinkedIn was able to prevent 19.5 million of these fake accounts to be created at registration while 2 million fake accounts were taken down before members reported them. Essentially, 98% of all fake accounts were prevented or taken down through the platform’s automated defenses, including artificial intelligence and machine learning. The rest 67,000 were captured through manual review after member reports.
LinkedIn is not alone in this fight. Social networks like Facebook and Twitter are plagued with fake accounts on their platforms. However, unlike Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn has largely stayed away from issues of disinformation and harassment since the platform is perceived to be an extension of one’s workspace with connections including bosses, coworkers, as well as potential employers.
LinkedIn has 645 million members around the globe. In the blog post, LinkedIn’s Head of Trust and Safety Paul Rockwell wrote, “When we stop fake accounts, we start more chances for economic opportunity. We are committed to using every measure available to maintain your safety, allowing everyone to access economic opportunity while feeling supported and secure.”
