LinkedIn’s safety feature may prevent sexual harassment online; here’s how it works

Journalist and author Nishtha Gautam earlier spoke about her encounter with “sexual harassment” on LinkedIn. In response to Gautam's experience, LinkedIn has now released a statement.

"People expect their experience on LinkedIn to be professional and free of harassment. Our Professional Community Policies include detailed examples of what kind of content isn’t allowed and are clear that harassment, including unwanted romantic advances, does not belong on LinkedIn. That’s why we invest in technology and our teams of experts to keep LinkedIn a professional place that every member of the global workforce can trust," the statement read.

The platform highlighted its safety features aimed at protecting users from harmful content.

"We’ve also added an optional advanced safety feature that detects harmful messages. When enabled, this feature allows LinkedIn’s automated machine learning models to detect likely harmful content, like sexual harassment, within messages and hide it. These updates make it easier for members to report and our team to act. Learn more about how to turn on the setting here," LinkedIn noted.

LinkedIn encouraged users to report any inappropriate interactions actively.

"We encourage members to report inappropriate comments or messages on LinkedI so our team can help protect them and others. Read more about how we’re working every day to keep our community trusted and professional here," the company added.

What happened to Nishtha Gautam?

Gautam expressed frustration over the persistent harassment she has faced on LinkedIn despite her professional stature and personal safeguards.

She spoke about one incident that started with an innocent connection request accompanied by polite messages. However, it soon escalated into a series of inappropriate direct communications.

Despite her attempts to ignore the unwelcome attention, the situation intensified when the same individual began leaving comments on her Instagram account, invading her personal social media space.

““Not all men” tribe, sit down. Unless YOU wake up to such bullshit from random stranger women in your professional account’s inbox routinely, don’t even think of making your case,” she wrote.