Key highlights
- LinkedIn rolls out features that allow users to verify their identity on the platform.
- Users can also verify the companies they work with.
- The verifications, which are currently being rolled out in the US are to be expanded to all countries and it’s completely free.
The professional social networking platform, LinkedIn, has rolled out new features to verify the identity of users on the platform.
The new features aside from authenticating users’ identity also allow them to verify where they work, using the company’s email.
However, unlike Twitter and recently Meta, which attached price tags of $11 and $12 a month to their verification, getting verified on LinkedIn is free.
Announcing the features on Wednesday, LinkedIn’s Vice President, of Product Management, Oscar Rodriguez, said the company believes verification should be for everyone on LinkedIn and that every feature will be available and free to all users.
Why you need verification on LinkedIn
Emphasizing the need for authenticity, Rodriguez said a verified LinkedIn user would find more opportunities on the platform.
- “On LinkedIn, when you show that you’re the real you, you’ll have an even greater chance of finding the professional opportunities that matter to you and your community. That’s why we introduced verification options in October 2022, and starting today, we’re rolling out three additional ways to verify your identity and where you work,” he said.
He said LinkedIn is partnering with CLEAR, a secure identity platform, to verify its users, starting from the US.
- “Beginning this month, you can display on your profile that you verified your identity with CLEAR. All you need is a U.S. government-issued ID and a U.S. phone number. Here’s what the experience will look like, and if you need a hand getting set up, follow the steps in our Help Center,” Rodriguez said.
Verify where you work
Given the professional nature of LinkedIn, the company said it wants to make sure users can verify their workplace as well. Available now to 50 million users globally, LinkedIn said users can verify where they work using their company-issued email addresses.
While noting that there are over 4,000 companies, LinkedIn said this is one more way to demonstrate the authenticity of users’ profiles. This feature is to be rolled out over time to more companies and expand eligibility.
Partnership with Microsoft
LinkedIn said it is also partnering with Microsoft to allow organizations to leverage the Microsoft Entra Verified ID platform to issue digital workplace IDs for free, enabling workers to display the verification on their LinkedIn profile.
- “Rolling out at the end of April, we plan to make this available to dozens of participating companies reaching more than two million LinkedIn members. We’ll continue to expand availability as more companies participate in Entra,” the LinkedIn VP said.
Social media platforms are adopting user verification as a means of engendering trust and building more confidence in the content being posted on their platforms. However, the attachment of price tags by platforms like Twitter and Meta means that only a few users that can afford to pay monthly subscriptions can get verified.
