LinkedIn Expands Verification: Colleagues and Companies Can Now Remove Fake Employees

LinkedIn is expanding its verification system by testing a confirmation feature from former colleagues and giving verified company pages the authority to remove individuals who falsely list themselves as employees. The move marks a shift from document-based identity verification to social verification that relies on professional networks.

Until now, verification on LinkedIn has rested on free third-party ID-checking tools for members. Now the platform is adding an internal mechanism: users will be asked to confirm that their colleagues did indeed work at the company listed on their profile. After receiving enough confirmations, LinkedIn will attach a verification badge to the profile in question. Notably, users can choose not to display the badge—a leniency that could weaken the system's effectiveness, though it may also invite public questions about those who decline to show it.

For companies, the fake-employee removal feature is available only to verified company pages. Company page verification itself launched only in August 2024 and remains limited, though last year it was extended to all brands subscribing to the Premium Company Page plan. Eligibility is also determined by meaningful engagement on LinkedIn—such as regularly posting or responding to members—as well as established commercial relationships, including ad purchases or Premium subscriptions. In other words, to clean up fake employee listings, companies may have to dig deeper into their pockets.

LinkedIn has also partnered with Truecaller and PeerSpot to extend verification displays to more third-party platforms. Previously, the company partnered with Adobe, TrustRadius, and UserTesting. The move strengthens LinkedIn's position as a reference for professional identity—a need that is increasingly urgent amid a wave of automation and generative AI that makes it easier to fake profiles and work experience claims.

"As AI transforms the world of work, trust becomes the most valuable professional asset. LinkedIn has invested tens of millions of dollars in verification, building a more trusted professional community," LinkedIn said in an official statement.

However, this expansion is not without risk. The involvement of third-party partners in the verification process can open gaps for privacy and data misuse. If one partner fails to maintain security standards, trust built over years could collapse in an instant. Moreover, the paid model for the fake-employee removal feature could create inequality: large companies with bigger marketing budgets can more freely maintain the credibility of their pages, while small and medium businesses fall behind.

In Indonesia, LinkedIn has become a key channel for professionals, recruiters, and companies to build reputations. With more than 20 million users in the country, this verification feature can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, it helps local companies screen candidates and protect their brands from impostors claiming to be employees. On the other hand, reliance on colleague confirmation may be less effective in a market where professional culture remains closely tied to personal relationships—where confirmation may be given out of reluctance rather than factual validation. Local technology companies and domestic recruitment platforms need to watch this development closely, especially if LinkedIn extends verification to regional partners with different data governance standards.

Going forward, the big question is no longer whether verification will become a new standard on professional platforms, but how inclusive and secure this system is for all users. If LinkedIn fails to balance security, privacy, and accessibility, efforts to build trust could instead become a new source of doubt.