LinkedIn has introduced new features aimed at enhancing the credibility of professional profiles amidst the proliferation of fake accounts and digital identities. Users will now be able to verify that they indeed worked or studied with another person, with this verification specifically relating to the stated experience rather than a general profile recommendation. Only users with already verified accounts who have been connected with the relevant person for at least a year can confirm the information. An additional requirement is a secured account with two-factor authentication. According to LinkedIn, existing verification tools have already been used to confirm information for 115 million users and over 700,000 companies. The new mechanism is expected to add another layer of trust to the positions, workplaces, and professional experiences that participants self-report.
Certain changes are intended for companies. Administrators of corporate pages will be able to remove profiles that unjustifiably claim employment with the respective organization from their page and associated search results. However, the user's account itself is not deleted, and control over it remains with the owner. After removing the connection with the company, the clickable link to its page disappears from the profile, and the relevant work experience ceases to be displayed as verified. LinkedIn is also testing additional verification for users who want to interact with the organization's page. In some cases, they may need to confirm their place of work, for example, using a corporate email address. Initially, the mechanism is primarily aimed at full-time employees, while alternative verification methods are provided for contractors and other categories of workers. Thus, the company gains the ability to separately control information about who is genuinely associated with its brand.
LinkedIn is simultaneously expanding the use of verified identity beyond its platform. Existing partners, including Adobe and UserTesting, will be joined by Truecaller and PeerSpot. For instance, verified LinkedIn data can be used in Truecaller so that identity information is displayed to the recipient during a call. The company associates the development of these tools with the growing importance of digital identity verification in the professional environment. According to LinkedIn, users with verified profiles receive, on average, 50% more post views and 90% more impressions compared to participants without verification. These figures reflect the platform's own statistics and do not imply that verification automatically leads to increased reach for every user. The new system primarily expands the number of signals by which the credibility of professional information can be assessed.