LinkedIn Provides New Update on Spam, Scams and Fake Profiles in the App

A new article on Social Media Today reports that LinkedIn is detecting and blocking more fake accounts, thanks to improvements in its automation systems, while also removing a lot more misinformation in the last six months of 2021, as per its latest transparency update.



LinkedIn's Transparency Report for the second half of 2021 (July to December) provides a complete overview of actions taken on spam, misinformation, government takedown requests, and more, which provides some interesting perspective on LinkedIn's efforts on this front.

And while LinkedIn isn't targeted in the way that Facebook or YouTube might be on these fronts, there is still a lot of inauthentic activity in the app, with scammers looking to access information, and dupe LinkedIn users, with fake offers, connection requests, etc. With LinkedIn activity rising by 34% year-over-year, its main feed is also now being seen by more and more people, making it more appealing for those looking to spread false narratives.

First off, on fake accounts - LinkedIn says that its automated defenses blocked 96% of all fake accounts in the period, with 11.9 million attempts stopped in the registration process. LinkedIn says that its improved detection technology contributed to a 19% increase in fake accounts being removed in the period prior to a member reporting them, which is category B in the chart above. That element has jumped from 3.7 million in the previous period, to 4.4 million now.

Of course, there's no definitive way to prove that you're catching all fake accounts. As Elon Musk is now finding on Twitter, the numbers reported are based on what each platform's systems are able to detect, so it's entirely possible that other false accounts are being created, and are not being detected in the same way. That would belie some of this data - but still, based on what LinkedIn knows of, its detection systems are improving, which is a positive for real engagement and interaction in the app

In terms of spam and scams, LinkedIn's detection numbers have remained relatively stable versus previous reports. LinkedIn is, however, removing more misinformation, which it says is due to 'enhanced automated defenses that enable LinkedIn to better detect potential misinformation proactively.'

LinkedIn's misinformation numbers have been steadily increasing over time, going from 110,742 cases dealt with in the second half of 2020, to 147,490 in the first part of 2021, to the 207k it saw in the most recent period. Again, part of that comes down to improved detection, but with increased engagement, LinkedIn may also be seen as more of a target for such, while there's also been a raft of divisive topics in more recent times.