LinkedIn is a professional networking platform used by over 700 million members worldwide. While most interactions on LinkedIn are positive, you may occasionally encounter a user who violates LinkedIn’s Professional Community Policies through inappropriate behavior or content. If this happens, you can submit a complaint directly to LinkedIn to request that action be taken against the offending account. Here is an overview of how to properly complain about another member on LinkedIn if you experience harassment, bullying, or other policy violations.
Identify the Problem
The first step is to identify exactly what the LinkedIn member has done to violate the platform’s Professional Community Policies. Some common issues that lead users to want to complain include:
- Harassment or bullying through messages, posts, or comments
- Inappropriate or abusive language or behavior
- Spam or repeated, unsolicited messages
- Scams or phishing attempts
- Fake or misleading profiles or job postings
- Hate speech, threats, or discrimination
Take screenshots as evidence of any concerning posts, messages, profiles, or other content. Make sure to record the member’s full name and profile URL if submitting a complaint.
Consult LinkedIn’s Professional Community Policies
Before escalating to an official complaint, check LinkedIn’s Professional Community Policies and User Agreement to confirm that the other member’s actions clearly violate established rules. For example, while having a political affiliation listed in the profile would not violate policy, actively harassing others based on political beliefs would. Review the policies carefully to ensure the complaint is valid and warranted.
Report the Content
The easiest way to complain about a post, comment, or other content is to report it directly through LinkedIn’s reporting system. Simply locate the concerning content, click the “More” button, and select “Report.” Choose the reason that best describes how the content violates LinkedIn’s policies. This will submit a report to LinkedIn for review.
Submit a Profile Complaint
To complain about an entire profile, you can submit a profile complaint. On the member’s profile page, click the “More” button and select “Report/Block.” Choose “Report profile” and select the option that best describes how the profile violates LinkedIn’s policies, such as “pretending to be someone else” or “inappropriate or offensive profile.” Adding additional details in the comment box can help LinkedIn fully investigate the complaint.
File In-Mail Complaints
Harassing messages or inappropriate in-mail content can be reported directly from the message thread. Open the concerning message and click the button with the flag icon to “Report as inappropriate.” Select the reason and add any relevant details. This will submit a complaint about the abusive message content.
Contact LinkedIn Customer Service
For urgent complaints that require additional follow-up or detail, you can contact LinkedIn Customer Service directly. Choose “Reporting inappropriate content” and complete the online complaint form. Provide as many specifics as possible, including links and screenshots. A customer service agent will investigate the complaint and take any warranted actions.
Escalate to Legal Authorities if Needed
In cases of severe harassment, stalking, threats, or potential physical harm, escalate the matter to your local law enforcement. LinkedIn will cooperate fully with any law enforcement investigations related to illegal activity associated with the platform. You may need to file an official police report to prompt involvement from authorities.
What Happens After Submitting a LinkedIn Complaint?
After receiving a complaint, LinkedIn will start an investigation process. Here are details on how LinkedIn handles reports against member profiles and content:
- The material is reviewed by LinkedIn’s Trust & Safety team to confirm it violates established Professional Community Policies.
- If policies were broken, action may be taken against the member account, such as removing content, issuing warnings, temporarily restricting activity, or permanent suspension.
- LinkedIn seeks to be fair in enforcement. Multiple minor offenses are usually required for permanent account deletion.
- The offending user is notified of actions taken, but complaining parties will not receive notification about specific account penalties.
- LinkedIn will not reveal details of investigations or disciplinary actions to other users due to privacy policies.
- Frivolous, false, or repetitive complaints may result in limits being placed on the complaining account’s ability to report issues.
So while you will not hear details about penalties imposed, submitting a valid complaint prompts LinkedIn to take appropriate action to maintain a professional environment.
Best Practices for Complaining about LinkedIn Members
Follow these tips to ensure your LinkedIn complaints are handled efficiently and effectively:
- Gather complete evidence including screenshots and links before complaining.
- Stick to factual descriptions of how content or actions violate LinkedIn’s established policies.
- Avoid personal attacks or accusations without proof to back them up.
- Use the built-in reporting tools whenever possible as the first course of action.
- Be patient – LinkedIn investigations take time, especially if complaints queue up against a member.
- Do not engage directly with an offending profile once you have reported them.
- Follow up through Customer Service if an urgent complaint is not resolved promptly.
With over 3 million Company Pages and 100 million user contribute posts weekly, LinkedIn relies on member reporting to identify and respond to policy violations. By properly documenting and submitting complaints against abusive profiles, you help LinkedIn protect the professional community.
When Should I Avoid Submitting a LinkedIn Complaint?
While reporting offensive or inappropriate content is encouraged, avoid misusing LinkedIn’s complaints system in the following situations:
- The profile or posts simply express opinions you disagree with but do not violate policies.
- You had a personal disagreement with the member but cannot point to clear abuse.
- You are a competitor seeking to get a profile shut down but have no evidence of wrongdoing.
- The issue stems from a misunderstanding rather than intentional misconduct.
- The member corrected their behavior after you privately requested they stop.
Think carefully before complaining over minor disagreements or perceived slights that likely do not breach LinkedIn’s rules. Falsely reporting accounts not actually guilty of misconduct can backfire by getting your own account restricted.
What Types of Complaints Does LinkedIn Consider Frivolous?
LinkedIn will reject complaints they deem frivolous which will not result in any account restrictions or content removal. Some examples of frivolous LinkedIn complaints include:
- Targeting an individual simply due to political or religious differences in views
- Reporting content posted in a language you cannot read or understand
- Demanding the removal of endorsements left for another profile
- Requesting the disabling of an account due to professional jealousy or competition
- Claiming a profile is fake without evidence the profile is impersonating a real person
- Asking for posts to be removed because you personally feel offended or disagree with them
These types of complaints are considered frivolous since no real violations of LinkedIn’s policies have occurred. Customer service will likely not take action based on disagreements, rumors, or competitive motivations alone without tangible proof of misconduct.
Steps to Appeal an Unsuccessful LinkedIn Complaint
If you submitted a formal complaint but feel LinkedIn made a mistake in not taking action, you can appeal through these steps:
- Gather additional evidence the case warrants further investigation.
- Identify which specific Professional Community Standard was violated.
- Contact the Customer Service team, provide new evidence, and request escalation.
- Clearly explain how the continued account activity causes you harm.
- If all internal appeals are declined, ask for an explanation justifying why the account remains active.
Constructive, professional appeals focused on policy violations rather than personal issues have the best chance of success. But keep in mind LinkedIn aims to keep accounts active when possible, so appeals do not always result in firmer enforcement action.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Complaining to LinkedIn
To boost the chances of your LinkedIn complaints being taken seriously, sidestep these common errors:
- Making complaints based on hearsay without gathering your own evidence.
- Failing to specify which policies were violated in your report.
- Getting into public arguments or insulting the profile instead of privately reporting them.
- Reporting content simply because you do not like or agree with the opinions expressed.
- Neglecting to include links, screenshots, and account names in complaints.
- Focusing complaints on personal disagreements instead of policy breaches.
- Having multiple people all report the same minor issue in hopes of getting noticed.
- Making exaggerated claims not fully backed up by the available facts.
LinkedIn investigates complaints objectively based on evidence, not persuasiveness or severity of language used. Stick to facts and documentation to give complaints the highest chance of success.
Potential Risks of Submitting LinkedIn Complaints
While reporting offensive or harassing profiles is usually low-risk, keep in mind:
- There is no guarantee LinkedIn will disable a profile based on your complaint alone.
- The member may retaliate against you either on or off the platform.
- Accusations could be falsely made against you in response.
- You may be publicly lambasted by supporters of the profile you reported.
- A record of complaints ultimately found frivolous could limit your account privileges.
- The process often has no satisfactory closure since results are kept private.
- Lawsuits, while extremely rare, may occur if complaints raise allegations of crimes.
Weigh the potential pros and cons before escalating grievances into formal reports. Protect yourself by keeping your own communications professional and constructive.
Educational Table on LinkedIn Reporting Options
Issue | Reporting Method | LinkedIn Response Time* |
---|---|---|
Abusive profile | Built-in profile reporting tool | 24-48 hours |
Inappropriate post/comment | Built-in reporting buttons below post | 8-12 hours |
Harassing/spam messages | In-mail reporting button | 12-24 hours |
Job/Company Page scams | Customer service complaint form | 36-72 hours |
*Response times are estimates only; resolution speed depends on complaint volume and severity of alleged violation.
Conclusion
LinkedIn provides robust tools for reporting offensive, inappropriate or harassing profiles when you follow the proper complaint channels. Clearly document policy violations with screenshots and written summaries when filing reports. Avoid frivolous complaints unlikely to warrant action under LinkedIn’s Professional Community Policies. With valid evidence, LinkedIn usually acts within 1-3 days to remove abusive content and restrict policy-violating accounts. Complaining judiciously helps promote the safe, professional culture LinkedIn aspires to build.