LinkedIn is now blocking and detecting more fake accounts thanks to improvements in its automated systems. At the same time, it also removed more misinformation within the last six months 2021, as per its latest transparency update.
Being Transparent Here…
LinkedIn’s Transparency report for the second half of 2021 provides a complete overview of actions taken on spam, misinformation, government takedown requests, and more, which could provide some interesting perspective on LinkedIn’s effort on this front. While LinkedIn might not be targeted on these fronts as Facebook and YouTube might be, there’s still a lot of inauthentic activity in the app, with scammers looking to access information and dupe LinkedIn with all sorts of fake activity.
With LinkedIn activity rising by 34% YoY, its main feed is now visible to more people, making it a more appealing prospect for those looking to spread false narratives. Here are some of the key notes from its latest Transparency Update.
To start, LinkedIn says that automated defenses were able to block around 96% of all fake accounts within the period, with 11.9 million attempts stopped in the registration process. LinkedIn says that improved detection technology contributed to a 19% in the efficiency of fake account removal, prior to a member reporting them. This element is currently now at 4.4 million, up from 3.7 million in the previous period.
However, it proves to be a challenge to definitely prove that what is caught are indeed fake accounts. As Elon Musk is now finding on Twitter, the numbers reported are based on what each platform’s systems can detect, so it’s entirely possible that other false accounts are being created but not being detected in the same way. That would end up belying some of this data. Still, LinkedIn is positive that its detection systems will continue to improve, which is a plus for real engagement growth on the app.
In terms of scams and spam, LinkedIn’s numbers remain relatively stable when pinned against previous reports. However, LinkedIn is removing more misinformation, which it says is due to its enhanced automated defenses that enable it to better detect potential misinformation proactively.
LinkedIn’s misinformation numbers have been steadily increasing over time, noting around 110,742k cases during the middle part of 2020, up to 207k in the most recent report. Again, part of this stems from improved detection, but with increased engagement, LinkedIn also becomes a bigger target for such.
On another front, Government requests for data in the app have remained steady, with the majority of requests coming from the US. Though it is worth noting that LinkedIn had to pull out of China last October due to increasingly demanding removal requests and regulatory compliance from the CCP.
The Wrap
Another set of interesting insights from LinkedIn. There are some key notes about transparency in this latest report, though not all of them appear as surprising, given the outside changes and global approaches. The bottom line – LinkedIn systems are improving, though it’s still not currently possible to exactly gauge by ‘how much’. For one thing, at least it’s doing better in blocking harmful activity.
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