Scams originating on LinkedIn are getting more dangerous and common, research by NordLayer finds. More than half of US-based businesses (52 per cent) have already experienced at least one scam on LinkedIn in 2023, as per the report.&nbsp;

When LinkedIn was launched in 2003, it was a coming-of-age platform for both job-seekers and employers. Within a year of its launch, its users reached 1 million, and the platform soon became a focal point for emerging small businesses and start-ups.

In recent times, the platform has become more than a professional network service. It is a place for building your social network and sharing anecdotes or chunks of knowledge with your connections; for people running personal businesses, it is a place for increasing their digital presence.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="wionews.com/world/why-is-george-soros-death-trending-on-social-media-592846">Why is 'George Soros death' trending on social media?</a>

But with growing possibilities with LinkedIn, scams and online phishing is also booming at an alarming rate. After WhatsApp’s scam calls and fraudulent texts, LinkedIn is now caught under the radar of fraudsters.&nbsp;

<h2>Key findings in the report&nbsp;</h2>

The report states that big businesses seem to be the most popular targets, almost two-thirds (65 per cent) of big US companies have experienced at least one attack this year. However, the smaller businesses are also not spared- 58 per cent of medium and 31 per cent of small companies suffered at least one attack this year.&nbsp;

Most common type of scam on LinkedIn

These businesses aren’t just victims because they are being targeted; their brand name also gets used in attacks which tarnish their image.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/research-unmasks-shocking-toll-social-isolation-has-on-human-body-592437">Research unmasks shocking toll social isolation has on human body</a>

One of the most prevalent types of attacks among big companies includes impersonating people working in other big companies. About 53 per cent of scams are based on this type of scam, and it is somewhat unique for big brands, as only 13 per cent of small companies experienced such scams.&nbsp;

Most common way to combat the online scam

The report found that businesses and people who have been victims of these scams have three common ways of addressing it:

-69 per cent of the victims contact LinkedIn’s customer support

-66 per cent of the victims directly contact their company’s IT and cyber security department

-45 per cent of the victims would often talk about it on the network itself

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/kids-using-smartphones-may-face-mental-health-issues-as-adults-reveals-study-592851">Kids using smartphones may face some serious mental health issues as adults, reveals study</a>

But what is the best way to address these threats? As per Carlos Salas, a cyber security expert at NordLayer, the best way to protect your business from these scams is to educate the company’s employees about the types of scams that exist and how to recognise them.&nbsp;

Also, encourage your employees to use two-factor authentication (2FA) on their LinkedIn accounts as well as verify requests for information,” Salas added further.&nbsp;

<h2>How to turn on two-step verification on LinkedIn?</h2>

1. Tap on your profile picture &gt; Settings &gt; Account &gt; Two-step verification

2. Tap the toggle to turn two-step verification on or off.

3. Choose the preferred verification method from the dropdown and click Continue.&nbsp;

<h2>Other common scams on LinkedIn&nbsp;</h2>

1. Catfishing

Scammers impersonate people online to trick others into revealing private information or handing over their hard-earned money.&nbsp;

2. Phishing

Phishing is an attempt to get targets to hand over their personal information through deception.&nbsp;

For example, a scammer may tell you they are a recruiter from a top company and find your profile promising and urge you to apply. However, instead of directing you to the actual company site, they send you to a fake site that prompts you to hand over information.

3. Fake job offer

This is also one of the most common scams on LinkedIn where people are roped in for fake fancy job offers. Fraudsters offer you a job or trick you into providing a service and then ghost the user once they receive it without paying for it.&nbsp;

4. Malicious software

When receiving any message from a stranger, be wary of any files they may convince you to download. Sometimes these Word documents, PDFs, or website links have malicious software in them that can leak your personal data to the scammer.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

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Scams originating on LinkedIn are getting more dangerous and common, research by NordLayer finds. More than half of US-based businesses (52 per cent) have already experienced at least one scam on LinkedIn in 2023, as per the report.

Scams originating on LinkedIn are getting more dangerous and common, research by NordLayer finds. More than half of US-based businesses (52 per cent) have already experienced at least one scam on LinkedIn in 2023, as per the report. When LinkedIn was launched in 2003, it was a coming-of-age platform for both job-seekers and employers. Within a year of its launch, its users reached 1 million, and the platform soon became a focal point for emerging small businesses and start-ups. In recent times, the platform has become more than a professional network service. It is a place for building your social network and sharing anecdotes or chunks of knowledge with your connections; for people running personal businesses, it is a place for increasing their digital presence. Also Read | Why is 'George Soros death' trending on social media? But with growing possibilities with LinkedIn, scams and online phishing is also booming at an alarming rate. After WhatsApp’s scam calls and fraudulent texts, LinkedIn is now caught under the radar of fraudsters. Key findings in the report The report states that big businesses seem to be the most popular targets, almost two-thirds (65 per cent) of big US companies have experienced at least one attack this year. However, the smaller businesses are also not spared- 58 per cent of medium and 31 per cent of small companies suffered at least one attack this year. Most common type of scam on LinkedIn These businesses aren’t just victims because they are being targeted; their brand name also gets used in attacks which tarnish their image. Also Read | Research unmasks shocking toll social isolation has on human body One of the most prevalent types of attacks among big companies includes impersonating people working in other big companies. About 53 per cent of scams are based on this type of scam, and it is somewhat unique for big brands, as only 13 per cent of small companies experienced such scams. Most common way to combat the online scam The report found that businesses and people who have been victims of these scams have three common ways of addressing it: -69 per cent of the victims contact LinkedIn’s customer support -66 per cent of the victims directly contact their company’s IT and cyber security department -45 per cent of the victims would often talk about it on the network itself Also Read | Kids using smartphones may face some serious mental health issues as adults, reveals study But what is the best way to address these threats? As per Carlos Salas, a cyber security expert at NordLayer, the best way to protect your business from these scams is to educate the company’s employees about the types of scams that exist and how to recognise them. Also, encourage your employees to use two-factor authentication (2FA) on their LinkedIn accounts as well as verify requests for information,” Salas added further. How to turn on two-step verification on LinkedIn? 1. Tap on your profile picture > Settings > Account > Two-step verification 2. Tap the toggle to turn two-step verification on or off. 3. Choose the preferred verification method from the dropdown and click Continue. Other common scams on LinkedIn 1. Catfishing Scammers impersonate people online to trick others into revealing private information or handing over their hard-earned money. 2. Phishing Phishing is an attempt to get targets to hand over their personal information through deception. For example, a scammer may tell you they are a recruiter from a top company and find your profile promising and urge you to apply. However, instead of directing you to the actual company site, they send you to a fake site that prompts you to hand over information. 3. Fake job offer This is also one of the most common scams on LinkedIn where people are roped in for fake fancy job offers. Fraudsters offer you a job or trick you into providing a service and then ghost the user once they receive it without paying for it. 4. Malicious software When receiving any message from a stranger, be wary of any files they may convince you to download. Sometimes these Word documents, PDFs, or website links have malicious software in them that can leak your personal data to the scammer. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

LinkedIn scams are getting more dangerous with big companies being targeted- Here are some safety tips

LinkedIn, the Microsoft-owned professional networking platform, on Wednesday announced layoffs in&nbsp;its sales, operations, and support departments. But apart from full-time employees losing their jobs, media&nbsp;reports&nbsp;indicate that offer letters previously extended to new hires were also rescinded.&nbsp;

One such individual is Lea Schuhmacher, a former intern at LinkedIn and a participant in the company's Business Leadership Programme, which has been discontinued.

Schuhmacher revealed in&nbsp;a LinkedIn post that the company had offered her a role back in September 2022. However, after months of anticipation, the offer was unexpectedly revoked, leaving her in a state of uncertainty.

Schuhmacher expressed her disappointment and added&nbsp;that she had turned down other job offers&nbsp;based on LinkedIn's assurance of employment.

"Today, LinkedIn announced not only its 'difficult decision' to lay off hundreds of employees but also to discontinue the Business Leadership Programme that I was supposed to be a part of," her&nbsp;LinkedIn post read.&nbsp;

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Another individual, Connor Bernal, who was also part of the Business Leadership Programme and had worked in&nbsp;LinkedIn's strategy and product team, pointed out the irony of LinkedIn announcing layoffs on its 20th anniversary. Despite being directly affected, he expressed optimism about the platform's potential to help individuals like him in their job search.&nbsp;

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="774" src="https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:share:7061775563677470720" title="Embedded post" width="504"></iframe>

On the same day, LinkedIn decided to shut&nbsp;its China-specific application, InCareers. To facilitate a smooth transition, the company has allowed&nbsp;InCareers&nbsp;users&nbsp;to download their data before the&nbsp;August 9 deadline.&nbsp;

Earlier this year, LinkedIn had laid&nbsp;off employees from its recruitment department due to challenging macroeconomic conditions. One of the affected&nbsp;employees, Melanie Quandt, publicly criticised the company for offering&nbsp;'insufficient' benefits and severance packages.&nbsp;

"Feeling awful for all of us that were impacted. It will take a lot for me to trust an employer again," Quandt wrote on LinkedIn.&nbsp;

LinkedIn, the Microsoft-owned professional networking platform, on Wednesday announced layoffs in its sales, operations, and support departments. But apart from full-time employees losing their jobs, media reports indicate that offer letters previously extended to new hires were also rescinded.

LinkedIn, the Microsoft-owned professional networking platform, on Wednesday announced layoffs in its sales, operations, and support departments. But apart from full-time employees losing their jobs, media reports indicate that offer letters previously extended to new hires were also rescinded. One such individual is Lea Schuhmacher, a former intern at LinkedIn and a participant in the company's Business Leadership Programme, which has been discontinued. Schuhmacher revealed in a LinkedIn post that the company had offered her a role back in September 2022. However, after months of anticipation, the offer was unexpectedly revoked, leaving her in a state of uncertainty. Schuhmacher expressed her disappointment and added that she had turned down other job offers based on LinkedIn's assurance of employment. "Today, LinkedIn announced not only its 'difficult decision' to lay off hundreds of employees but also to discontinue the Business Leadership Programme that I was supposed to be a part of," her LinkedIn post read. × Another individual, Connor Bernal, who was also part of the Business Leadership Programme and had worked in LinkedIn's strategy and product team, pointed out the irony of LinkedIn announcing layoffs on its 20th anniversary. Despite being directly affected, he expressed optimism about the platform's potential to help individuals like him in their job search. On the same day, LinkedIn decided to shut its China-specific application, InCareers. To facilitate a smooth transition, the company has allowed InCareers users to download their data before the August 9 deadline. Earlier this year, LinkedIn had laid off employees from its recruitment department due to challenging macroeconomic conditions. One of the affected employees, Melanie Quandt, publicly criticised the company for offering 'insufficient' benefits and severance packages. "Feeling awful for all of us that were impacted. It will take a lot for me to trust an employer again," Quandt wrote on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn layoffs: Woman says her job offer was rescinded before she could join

The online recruitment-offering site LinkedIn on Monday announced it would be terminating the jobs of 716 employees as well as phasing out its China-focused job application.

LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky wrote a letter to employees, informing them about the job cuts. He cited trimming headcount in the sales, operations and support teams to streamline the company's operations and remove flab to make quicker decisions.&nbsp;

"With the market and customer demand fluctuating more, and to serve emerging and growth markets more effectively, we are expanding the use of vendors," said&nbsp;Roslansky in the letter.&nbsp;

He added that the changes would result in the creation of 250 new jobs and those laid off would be eligible to apply for those roles.&nbsp;

As for its China operations, the company said it will be phasing out its InCareeers app from the country by August 9. LinkedIn had decided to withdraw from mainland China in 2021 citing a 'challenging environment'.&nbsp;

"Despite our initial progress, InCareer faced fierce competition and a challenging macroeconomic climate, which ultimately led us to the decision of discontinuing the service," the company told users of the website.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/another-round-of-jobs-cuts-at-meta-thousands-of-workers-could-be-impacted-reports-565005">WATCH |&nbsp;Another round of jobs cuts at Meta, thousands of workers could be impacted: Reports</a>

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Despite witnessing an increase in revenue each quarter last year, the Microsoft-owned platform is joining the likes of other tech giants in laying off employees.&nbsp;

<h2>LinkedIn's previous round of firings</h2>

Notably, in February earlier this year, after Microsoft announced plans to lay off around 10,000 employees, a significant amount of firing took place in the&nbsp;recruitment department of LinkedIn as well.&nbsp;

While the numbers were not confirmed at the time, several employees took to social media platforms to lament the sudden firing.&nbsp;

LinkedIn's ex-staff member Nicole Zawacki (who was employed as "diversity, inclusion and belonging sourcing lead") wrote that it will take a "little time" for her to process.

"Today I'm taking a little time to myself to process, but if anyone has any positions within Talent Acquisition or your Diversity team, or know of someone who does, I would sincerely appreciate any advice,” Zawacki posted.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/job-providing-platform-linkedin-sacks-employees-from-recruitment-team-561925">ALSO READ |&nbsp;Job-providing platform, LinkedIn, sacks employees from its recruitment team</a>

The tech sector has witnessed a bloodbath over the last one and a half years. Amazon&nbsp;led the pack in firings by laying off almost 27,000 workers worldwide. Facebook owner Meta has terminated 21,000 jobs while Google's parent company Alphabet has laid off as many as 12,000 workers.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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The online recruitment-offering site LinkedIn on Monday announced it would be terminating the jobs of 716 employees as well as phasing out its China-focused job application.

The online recruitment-offering site LinkedIn on Monday announced it would be terminating the jobs of 716 employees as well as phasing out its China-focused job application. LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky wrote a letter to employees, informing them about the job cuts. He cited trimming headcount in the sales, operations and support teams to streamline the company's operations and remove flab to make quicker decisions. "With the market and customer demand fluctuating more, and to serve emerging and growth markets more effectively, we are expanding the use of vendors," said Roslansky in the letter. He added that the changes would result in the creation of 250 new jobs and those laid off would be eligible to apply for those roles. As for its China operations, the company said it will be phasing out its InCareeers app from the country by August 9. LinkedIn had decided to withdraw from mainland China in 2021 citing a 'challenging environment'. "Despite our initial progress, InCareer faced fierce competition and a challenging macroeconomic climate, which ultimately led us to the decision of discontinuing the service," the company told users of the website. WATCH | Another round of jobs cuts at Meta, thousands of workers could be impacted: Reports × Despite witnessing an increase in revenue each quarter last year, the Microsoft-owned platform is joining the likes of other tech giants in laying off employees. LinkedIn's previous round of firings Notably, in February earlier this year, after Microsoft announced plans to lay off around 10,000 employees, a significant amount of firing took place in the recruitment department of LinkedIn as well. While the numbers were not confirmed at the time, several employees took to social media platforms to lament the sudden firing. LinkedIn's ex-staff member Nicole Zawacki (who was employed as "diversity, inclusion and belonging sourcing lead") wrote that it will take a "little time" for her to process. "Today I'm taking a little time to myself to process, but if anyone has any positions within Talent Acquisition or your Diversity team, or know of someone who does, I would sincerely appreciate any advice,” Zawacki posted. ALSO READ | Job-providing platform, LinkedIn, sacks employees from its recruitment team The tech sector has witnessed a bloodbath over the last one and a half years. Amazon led the pack in firings by laying off almost 27,000 workers worldwide. Facebook owner Meta has terminated 21,000 jobs while Google's parent company Alphabet has laid off as many as 12,000 workers. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Microsoft-owned LinkedIn to sack over 700 employees, phase out its Chinese app

Job hunt platform, LinkedIn is axing about 4% of its workforce. It translates to 700 workers being laid off globally. The company also says it will shut its China focused app. For more, watch the video.

LinkedIn axes 700 positions globally

As mass layoffs continue across sectors globally, Linkedin has emerged as a space for people to vent and share their experiences.

LinkedIn gains popularity amid mass layoffs

The online recruitment-offering site, LinkedIn, is now facing layoffs, cutting down the number of employees working in the recruitment team. The cloud of Layoffs 2023 is now hovering on the heads of the employees working at LinkedIn.

According to the reports, Microsoft's plan to lay off around 10,000 employees is now knocking on the doors of LinkedIn. The Information published a report announcing that employees have been laid off in the recruitment department of LinkedIn on Monday (February 13).

The report further stated that Microsoft has confirmed layoffs in LinkedIn. Microsoft spokesperson said that they have handed pink slips to certain employees. However, the number of employees who have been impacted by the layoffs in LinkedIn has not been confirmed as of yet.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/meta-delays-setting-team-budgets-fresh-layoffs-on-cards-561024">Meta delays setting team budgets, triggers speculation of more layoffs</a>

Hiring has also been slowed by LinkedIn, as per The Information's report.

No layoffs planned

In November 2022, a freeze in hiring was announced by the employment-based social networking website.

LinkedIn's Chief Executive Ryan Roslansky, while speaking to CNBC-TV18 in November 2022, had stated that they had no plans for layoffs however a hiring freeze would be implemented by them in certain verticals.

However, 2023 didn't turn out as per the stated plans as 10,000 employees were impacted by Microsoft's layoffs, the ripples of which also touched LinkedIn's shores. The layoffs carried out in Microsoft this year also impacted employees working for GitHub, Azure and Metaverse.

WATCH | Massive layoffs hurting sacked Indians in the US

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Employees announce end of employment

Meanwhile, a few employees took to the platform to announce their end of employment with the company. LinkedIn's ex-staff member Nicole Zawacki (who was employed as "diversity, inclusion and belonging sourcing lead") wrote that it will take a "little time" for her to process.

"Today I'm taking a little time to myself to process, but if anyone has any positions within Talent Acquisition or your Diversity team, or know of someone who does, I would sincerely appreciate any advice,” Zawacki posted.&nbsp;

Another employee Melanie Quandt, who was handed the termination letter a week ago, said she is "super disappointed with the small benefits and severance offered," and added that it would take a lot to "trust an employer again”.

In her post, Quandt stated, "Never lost a job in my 25 years in my career ... super disappointed with the small benefits and severance offered. Feeling awful for all of us that were impacted. It will take a lot for me to trust an employer again."

(With inputs from agencies)

You can&nbsp;now write for wionews.com&nbsp;and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

The online recruitment-offering site, LinkedIn, is now facing layoffs, cutting down the number of employees working in the recruitment team. The cloud of Layoffs 2023 is now hovering on the heads of the employees working at LinkedIn.

The online recruitment-offering site, LinkedIn, is now facing layoffs, cutting down the number of employees working in the recruitment team. The cloud of Layoffs 2023 is now hovering on the heads of the employees working at LinkedIn. According to the reports, Microsoft's plan to lay off around 10,000 employees is now knocking on the doors of LinkedIn. The Information published a report announcing that employees have been laid off in the recruitment department of LinkedIn on Monday (February 13). The report further stated that Microsoft has confirmed layoffs in LinkedIn. Microsoft spokesperson said that they have handed pink slips to certain employees. However, the number of employees who have been impacted by the layoffs in LinkedIn has not been confirmed as of yet. ALSO READ | Meta delays setting team budgets, triggers speculation of more layoffs Hiring has also been slowed by LinkedIn, as per The Information's report. No layoffs planned In November 2022, a freeze in hiring was announced by the employment-based social networking website. LinkedIn's Chief Executive Ryan Roslansky, while speaking to CNBC-TV18 in November 2022, had stated that they had no plans for layoffs however a hiring freeze would be implemented by them in certain verticals. However, 2023 didn't turn out as per the stated plans as 10,000 employees were impacted by Microsoft's layoffs, the ripples of which also touched LinkedIn's shores. The layoffs carried out in Microsoft this year also impacted employees working for GitHub, Azure and Metaverse. WATCH | Massive layoffs hurting sacked Indians in the US Employees announce end of employment Meanwhile, a few employees took to the platform to announce their end of employment with the company. LinkedIn's ex-staff member Nicole Zawacki (who was employed as "diversity, inclusion and belonging sourcing lead") wrote that it will take a "little time" for her to process. "Today I'm taking a little time to myself to process, but if anyone has any positions within Talent Acquisition or your Diversity team, or know of someone who does, I would sincerely appreciate any advice,” Zawacki posted. Another employee Melanie Quandt, who was handed the termination letter a week ago, said she is "super disappointed with the small benefits and severance offered," and added that it would take a lot to "trust an employer again”. In her post, Quandt stated, "Never lost a job in my 25 years in my career ... super disappointed with the small benefits and severance offered. Feeling awful for all of us that were impacted. It will take a lot for me to trust an employer again." (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Job-providing platform, LinkedIn, sacks employees from its recruitment team

LinkedIn is a wonderful and rather unique platform for prospective employees to show their skills to employers. Taking such an approach a notch above, a woman named Karly Pavlinac Blackburn printed her resume on&nbsp;a cake and sent it to Nike.

Reportedly,&nbsp;Blackburn&nbsp;was recently laid off from a marketing job and was fishing for new opportunities but to no avail. However, during the job search, the North Carolina resident stumbled upon Nike's startup incubator for ideas called 'Valiant Labs'.&nbsp;

While the particular vertical was not hiring anyone, Blackburn still decided to let the team know who she was. The Nike team was reportedly celebrating its&nbsp;JDI day (Just Do It day) when Blackburn sought to use the opportunity.

Read more:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/woman-adds-sex-work-as-professional-experience-on-linkedin-explains-reason-496674">&nbsp;A woman adds 'sex work' as professional experience on LinkedIn. This is her reason</a>

After consulting with a former colleague, Blackburn ordered the cake from&nbsp;Albertsons Grocery Store which makes cakes with edible picture images.&nbsp;Denise Baldwin was assigned for the delivery and she instantly understood the gravity of the project she was undertaking.&nbsp;

"I had told her [Blackburn] on the phone when I was at security, 'Don't worry, I'm going to make sure that this gets to the right person for you because I know how important this is for you, and that means that it's important for me,"' said&nbsp;Baldwin.

Baldwin kept her word and delivered the cake. As proof of delivery, she even took a picture of an employee at Nike's Valiant Labs, holding the cake.&nbsp;

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/a-company-that-gives-10-pay-hike-to-its-employees-to-leave-heres-why-515993">A company that gives 10% pay hike to its employees to leave, here's why</a>

“I am so grateful. I knew navigating Nike’s large campus was a feat, but combine a giant party with tons of people on top of that adds another layer of complexity to this delivery,” said Blackburn.&nbsp;

A few days later, Blackburn posted the story on her LinkedIn account and it instantly went viral. till the last count, her post had more than 100,000 reactions and several thousand comments.

As for the job, Blackburn gave an update saying,&nbsp;"I have talked to some people at Nike as well as some others. As of right now, no job offers. Still looking for the right fit!"

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
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&nbsp;

LinkedIn is a wonderful and rather unique platform for prospective employees to show their skills to employers. Taking such an approach a notch above, a woman named Karly Pavlinac Blackburn printed her resume on a cake and sent it to Nike.

LinkedIn is a wonderful and rather unique platform for prospective employees to show their skills to employers. Taking such an approach a notch above, a woman named Karly Pavlinac Blackburn printed her resume on a cake and sent it to Nike. Reportedly, Blackburn was recently laid off from a marketing job and was fishing for new opportunities but to no avail. However, during the job search, the North Carolina resident stumbled upon Nike's startup incubator for ideas called 'Valiant Labs'. While the particular vertical was not hiring anyone, Blackburn still decided to let the team know who she was. The Nike team was reportedly celebrating its JDI day (Just Do It day) when Blackburn sought to use the opportunity. Read more: A woman adds 'sex work' as professional experience on LinkedIn. This is her reason After consulting with a former colleague, Blackburn ordered the cake from Albertsons Grocery Store which makes cakes with edible picture images. Denise Baldwin was assigned for the delivery and she instantly understood the gravity of the project she was undertaking. "I had told her [Blackburn] on the phone when I was at security, 'Don't worry, I'm going to make sure that this gets to the right person for you because I know how important this is for you, and that means that it's important for me,"' said Baldwin. Baldwin kept her word and delivered the cake. As proof of delivery, she even took a picture of an employee at Nike's Valiant Labs, holding the cake. Read more: A company that gives 10% pay hike to its employees to leave, here's why “I am so grateful. I knew navigating Nike’s large campus was a feat, but combine a giant party with tons of people on top of that adds another layer of complexity to this delivery,” said Blackburn. A few days later, Blackburn posted the story on her LinkedIn account and it instantly went viral. till the last count, her post had more than 100,000 reactions and several thousand comments. As for the job, Blackburn gave an update saying, "I have talked to some people at Nike as well as some others. As of right now, no job offers. Still looking for the right fit!" (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

US woman prints her resume on cake and gets it delivered to Nike for a job

Legal, cultural, and social discourse in the eyes of sex workers is marked by "prurience, titillation, anger, and contempt." Our cultural imagination is deeply ingrained with stories about sex work being bad and sex workers being treated as disposable victims.

However, a post that went popular online included a lady who listed "sex work" as her professional experience on LinkedIn. People can be cautious or reticent about disclosing information in their employment profiles, such as education levels, job tenure, or previous salaries.

Netizens have showered Arielle Egozi, a user of the professional networking site with over 9,000 followers, with praise for her bravery in shattering the taboo around sex employment. On her LinkedIn profile, Arielle published a lengthy article that contained a screenshot of her work history, which showed that she had worked as a freelancer doing sex work. She gave an explanation of why she brought it up in the post.

She wrote, "I left an in-house job with fancy benefits two weeks ago and the reason I could do that was sex work. I had just enough saved from selling and engaging my image that I could ask myself if I was happy. I wasn’t. Yeah, the few grand I’d stashed up over time helped, but the biggest reason I could walk away is because sex work shows me what my power can do when I own it intentionally. I charge exorbitant amounts."

Arielle also mentioned the strain on the soul. "I have no problem taking rejections from those that don’t want to pay it, because I charge what emotional labour is required right into the fee. I set and hold boundaries, and engage only in ways that are safe, playful, and abundant for me. I don’t waste my time with anything less. I stopped pitching and negotiating. I have nothing to prove. I’ve done the work up front to make my value evident."

She asked, "Why is this different than any other client work?"

She said, "The answer I come to, time and again, is that it isn't," before giving her perspective. I have it up on my LinkedIn now. Because anyone I work with must not only meet my new standard for new creative clients—that they be at least half as courteous, kind, and thankful as John Does online—but they must also celebrate and welcome all of their experiences as ones that they will unavoidably bring to a project.They don't have to comprehend it, but they must have the utmost respect for it.

More than 8,000 people reacted to and more than 1500 people commented on Arielle's post. Some of the commenters had praised her for landing a job she felt empowered by and that paid well.

One user wrote, "We talk about women’s rights in the context of abortion, but we don’t see much talk about the right of a woman to use her body (physically or graphically) to earn an income." Athletes, musicians, models, acrobats, and even construction workers use their bodies to generate income, and everyone seems good with that. We can’t all work behind a desk at a computer. "

"As long as the woman is voluntarily using her body to earn an income, I am good with it, even if the activity is related to sex. Her body, her choice. And of course, you might get a more favourable response from some of our readers if you promise to wear a mask and get a shot in your arm while providing your services!" the person added.

Another user showed support by writing, "Sex work IS real work and a great paying one at that! We shouldn’t minimize the value of those who take it on as work whether full time or a hustle; just because sex is considered a practice that ‘should be free’."

<img alt="Sex work" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="db377aec-e532-4ec6-949f-d3bd9a8a6398" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Linkedin.jpg" />

Meanwhile, some netizens also criticized Arielle.

One person wrote, "This is a very dangerous game you are playing. Sure you may have clients who are nice but people lie. At any moment a person wishes to harm you they can. Be mindful ma’am. I just want you to think more about the outcome, than the current situation. You get money, but is it worth looking in the mirror and crying in the shower when you still feel unfulfilled trying to fill a void?"

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

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Legal, cultural, and social discourse in the eyes of sex workers is marked by "prurience, titillation, anger, and contempt." Our cultural imagination is deeply ingrained with stories about sex work being bad and sex workers being treated as disposable victims.

Legal, cultural, and social discourse in the eyes of sex workers is marked by "prurience, titillation, anger, and contempt." Our cultural imagination is deeply ingrained with stories about sex work being bad and sex workers being treated as disposable victims. However, a post that went popular online included a lady who listed "sex work" as her professional experience on LinkedIn. People can be cautious or reticent about disclosing information in their employment profiles, such as education levels, job tenure, or previous salaries. Netizens have showered Arielle Egozi, a user of the professional networking site with over 9,000 followers, with praise for her bravery in shattering the taboo around sex employment. On her LinkedIn profile, Arielle published a lengthy article that contained a screenshot of her work history, which showed that she had worked as a freelancer doing sex work. She gave an explanation of why she brought it up in the post. She wrote, "I left an in-house job with fancy benefits two weeks ago and the reason I could do that was sex work. I had just enough saved from selling and engaging my image that I could ask myself if I was happy. I wasn’t. Yeah, the few grand I’d stashed up over time helped, but the biggest reason I could walk away is because sex work shows me what my power can do when I own it intentionally. I charge exorbitant amounts." Arielle also mentioned the strain on the soul. "I have no problem taking rejections from those that don’t want to pay it, because I charge what emotional labour is required right into the fee. I set and hold boundaries, and engage only in ways that are safe, playful, and abundant for me. I don’t waste my time with anything less. I stopped pitching and negotiating. I have nothing to prove. I’ve done the work up front to make my value evident." She asked, "Why is this different than any other client work?" She said, "The answer I come to, time and again, is that it isn't," before giving her perspective. I have it up on my LinkedIn now. Because anyone I work with must not only meet my new standard for new creative clients—that they be at least half as courteous, kind, and thankful as John Does online—but they must also celebrate and welcome all of their experiences as ones that they will unavoidably bring to a project.They don't have to comprehend it, but they must have the utmost respect for it. More than 8,000 people reacted to and more than 1500 people commented on Arielle's post. Some of the commenters had praised her for landing a job she felt empowered by and that paid well. One user wrote, "We talk about women’s rights in the context of abortion, but we don’t see much talk about the right of a woman to use her body (physically or graphically) to earn an income." Athletes, musicians, models, acrobats, and even construction workers use their bodies to generate income, and everyone seems good with that. We can’t all work behind a desk at a computer. " "As long as the woman is voluntarily using her body to earn an income, I am good with it, even if the activity is related to sex. Her body, her choice. And of course, you might get a more favourable response from some of our readers if you promise to wear a mask and get a shot in your arm while providing your services!" the person added. Another user showed support by writing, "Sex work IS real work and a great paying one at that! We shouldn’t minimize the value of those who take it on as work whether full time or a hustle; just because sex is considered a practice that ‘should be free’." Meanwhile, some netizens also criticized Arielle. One person wrote, "This is a very dangerous game you are playing. Sure you may have clients who are nice but people lie. At any moment a person wishes to harm you they can. Be mindful ma’am. I just want you to think more about the outcome, than the current situation. You get money, but is it worth looking in the mirror and crying in the shower when you still feel unfulfilled trying to fill a void?" (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

A woman adds 'sex work' as professional experience on LinkedIn. This is her reason

US woman wrote 'sex work' as her professional experience on LinkedIn. The lady named Arielle Egozi, has more than 9,000 followers on LinkedIn and has gained appreciation from social media users to break the myths around sex work.

US woman adds 'sex work' as professional experience on Linkedin

While there are many websites and consultants who could help you build a good resume, let’s take a cue from Bill Gates! On Friday, Bill Gates shared his first resume on his LinkedIn account and it’s nothing short of inspiring. Sharing a picture of his resume, he wrote, “Whether you’re a recent grad or a college dropout, I’m sure your resume looks a lot better than mine did 48 years ago”.

The 48-year-old resume dates back to when he was in his first year at Harvard. In his resume, the billionaire philanthropist has mentioned his expertise in including operating systems structure, database management, computer graphics, and compiler construction. He further mentions “Honors Student and received A’s in all of the above.”

At that time Bill Gates was known as William Henry Gates III. Although Bill Gates has mentioned that other people’s resume looks better than his 48-year-old resume, however, Netizens think otherwise.

Someone called it a "piece of archaeology"
<img alt="1" data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f2325c71-1632-4e94-80c1-241c96c3671b" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Screen%20Shot%202022-07-02%20at%2022.29.00.png" />
But, one other user thanked Gates - "Thank you for the example! Bill Gates great example of the essence of a CV and what it stands for - unveil what is behind the words. The depths of the words are what matters."
<img alt="2" data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4364eb9c-867e-48d8-9848-8c1c2aa253b9" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Screen%20Shot%202022-07-02%20at%2022.25.48.png" />
A LinkedIn user wrote, “Thank you for sharing Bill Gates. Great one-page resume. We should all keep copies of our past resumes to go back and have a look. Sometimes, we forget how much we have accomplished in our lives.”
<img alt="3" data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7eb3c8d9-1316-476b-a4cb-2a9102a4a844" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/billy_vfgdvg_1.PNG" />
One user tried to guess how the CV was created - "That's a hugely impressive CV for a young person 48 years ago...undervalued. The structure of the CV is good. I wonder what printer 
and software were used for it, not Word! ... probably a typewriter!"
<img alt="4" data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d0d46cff-8867-444e-9405-b54c482d216c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Screen%20Shot%202022-07-02%20at%2022.26.27.png" />
(with inputs from agencies)

While there are many websites and consultants who could help you build a good resume, let’s take a cue from Bill Gates! On Friday, Bill Gates shared his first resume on his LinkedIn account and it’s nothing short of inspiring.

While there are many websites and consultants who could help you build a good resume, let’s take a cue from Bill Gates! On Friday, Bill Gates shared his first resume on his LinkedIn account and it’s nothing short of inspiring. Sharing a picture of his resume, he wrote, “Whether you’re a recent grad or a college dropout, I’m sure your resume looks a lot better than mine did 48 years ago”. The 48-year-old resume dates back to when he was in his first year at Harvard. In his resume, the billionaire philanthropist has mentioned his expertise in including operating systems structure, database management, computer graphics, and compiler construction. He further mentions “Honors Student and received A’s in all of the above.” At that time Bill Gates was known as William Henry Gates III. Although Bill Gates has mentioned that other people’s resume looks better than his 48-year-old resume, however, Netizens think otherwise. Someone called it a "piece of archaeology" But, one other user thanked Gates - "Thank you for the example! Bill Gates great example of the essence of a CV and what it stands for - unveil what is behind the words. The depths of the words are what matters." A LinkedIn user wrote, “Thank you for sharing Bill Gates. Great one-page resume. We should all keep copies of our past resumes to go back and have a look. Sometimes, we forget how much we have accomplished in our lives.” One user tried to guess how the CV was created - "That's a hugely impressive CV for a young person 48 years ago...undervalued. The structure of the CV is good. I wonder what printer and software were used for it, not Word! ... probably a typewriter!" (with inputs from agencies)

Bill Gates shares his 48-year-old resume on Linkedin, someone calls it 'piece of archaeology'

Amazon will be shutting down its Kindle e-book store in China by June 2023, the company announced, putting an end to its nine-year venture in the market. It has already asked its retail suppliers to stop selling the device.

The Kindle China e-bookstore will stop selling e-books from June 30 next year, Amazon&nbsp;announced on its Weibo account on Thursday.

This means that customers in China will not be able to buy new e-books after that day and won’t be able to download books they have purchased after that year. It said that it will offer refunds for Chinese customers who bought a Kindle this year.

It will also remove the Kindle app from Chinese app stores in 2024, it added.

Even though Amazon did not give a reason for its retreat from the Chinese e-book market, it’s definitely not the first US tech giant to pull out of the market in recent days.

Other US firms like Airbnb, Yahoo and Microsoft's LinkedIn scaled back their operations last year and replaced it with a jobs board with no social networking functions.

The announcements come in the wake of China’s strict data privacy law specifying how companies collect and store data takes effect. Apart from that, China’s harsh internet rules and growing domestic competition have posed difficulties for these firms.

However, Amazon said that its other businesses such as logistics, ads and devices, will continue.

“Amazon’s long-term development commitment in China will not change,” Amazon said in the Weibo post. “We have established an extensive business base in China and will continue to innovate and invest.”

Last December,&nbsp;a Reuters investigation&nbsp;detailed Amazon’s efforts to win favour in China, including that it collaborated with the country’s propaganda arm to launch a “China Books” portal, partly in an effort to expand its Kindle business in China.

(With inputs from agencies)

Watch WION's live TV here:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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&nbsp;
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Amazon will be shutting down its Kindle e-book store in China by June 2023, the company announced, putting an end to its nine-year venture in the market. It has already asked its retail suppliers to stop selling the device.

Amazon will be shutting down its Kindle e-book store in China by June 2023, the company announced, putting an end to its nine-year venture in the market. It has already asked its retail suppliers to stop selling the device. The Kindle China e-bookstore will stop selling e-books from June 30 next year, Amazon announced on its Weibo account on Thursday. This means that customers in China will not be able to buy new e-books after that day and won’t be able to download books they have purchased after that year. It said that it will offer refunds for Chinese customers who bought a Kindle this year. It will also remove the Kindle app from Chinese app stores in 2024, it added. Even though Amazon did not give a reason for its retreat from the Chinese e-book market, it’s definitely not the first US tech giant to pull out of the market in recent days. Other US firms like Airbnb, Yahoo and Microsoft's LinkedIn scaled back their operations last year and replaced it with a jobs board with no social networking functions. The announcements come in the wake of China’s strict data privacy law specifying how companies collect and store data takes effect. Apart from that, China’s harsh internet rules and growing domestic competition have posed difficulties for these firms. However, Amazon said that its other businesses such as logistics, ads and devices, will continue. “Amazon’s long-term development commitment in China will not change,” Amazon said in the Weibo post. “We have established an extensive business base in China and will continue to innovate and invest.” Last December, a Reuters investigation detailed Amazon’s efforts to win favour in China, including that it collaborated with the country’s propaganda arm to launch a “China Books” portal, partly in an effort to expand its Kindle business in China. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here:

Amazon to pull the plug on Kindle in China amid growing coemption, harsh data privacy rules

Professional networking platform LinkedIn has reached an agreement over gender-pay discrimination allegation. The pay discrimination complain was brought in by the US Labor department investigators.

LinkedIn agrees to pay $1.8 million to women over gender-bias payment

A recent survey shows a lack of flexible work policies driving women to quit their jobs. Survey says a hybrid work model proving to be exhausting for most employees.

The Burnout generation: Are Hybrid work models leading to burnout?

Nearly seven years after its launch Microsoft is pulling the plug on LinkedIn in China and will replace it with a stripped-down version of the platform that would focus only on jobs.

Microsoft pulls the plug on LinkedIn in China, to replace it with a stripped-down version

Microsoft on Thursday said it will shut down career-oriented social network LinkedIn in China, citing a "challenging operating environment" as Beijing tightens control over tech firms.

The US-based company will replace LinkedIn in China with an application dedicated to applying for jobs but without the networking features, according to senior vice president of engineering Mohak Shroff.

"We're... facing a significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements in China," Shroff said in a blog post.

According to the Wall Street Journal, LinkedIn was given a deadline by Chinese internet regulators to better oversee content on the site.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkeys-24-year-old-rumeysa-gelgi-titled-as-tallest-woman-living-420736">Also read |&nbsp;Turkey’s 24-year-old Rumeysa Gelgi titled as tallest woman living</a>

LinkedIn, which launched in China in 2014, lets people use personal and professional relationships to find job opportunities.

Chinese authorities have been targeting a range of homegrown tech behemoths for alleged monopolistic practices and aggressive harvesting of consumer data.

The drive is part of a wider policy by the government to tighten its grip on the world's number two economy, including targeting private education, property and casinos.

Microsoft will "sunset" the China version of LinkedIn and launch an InJobs application dedicated to connected professionals in that country with companies seeking employees, according to Shroff.

Microsoft bought LinkedIn for slightly more than $26 billion in 2016, and has worked to build a presence in China despite concerns about online censorship.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/study-says-drinking-warm-milk-can-make-one-sleepy-here-is-how-420786">Also read |&nbsp;Study says drinking warm milk can make one sleepy, here is how</a>

Facebook and Twitter have been banned in China for more than a decade.

Google left the country in 2010 in response to a hacking attack and censorship.

The website of e-commerce giant Amazon is accessible in China, but the market there is dominated by local players such as Alibaba and JD.com.

Microsoft on Thursday said it will shut down career-oriented social network LinkedIn in China, citing a "challenging operating environment" as Beijing tightens control over tech firms.

Microsoft on Thursday said it will shut down career-oriented social network LinkedIn in China, citing a "challenging operating environment" as Beijing tightens control over tech firms. The US-based company will replace LinkedIn in China with an application dedicated to applying for jobs but without the networking features, according to senior vice president of engineering Mohak Shroff. "We're... facing a significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements in China," Shroff said in a blog post. According to the Wall Street Journal, LinkedIn was given a deadline by Chinese internet regulators to better oversee content on the site. Also read | Turkey’s 24-year-old Rumeysa Gelgi titled as tallest woman living LinkedIn, which launched in China in 2014, lets people use personal and professional relationships to find job opportunities. Chinese authorities have been targeting a range of homegrown tech behemoths for alleged monopolistic practices and aggressive harvesting of consumer data. The drive is part of a wider policy by the government to tighten its grip on the world's number two economy, including targeting private education, property and casinos. Microsoft will "sunset" the China version of LinkedIn and launch an InJobs application dedicated to connected professionals in that country with companies seeking employees, according to Shroff. Microsoft bought LinkedIn for slightly more than $26 billion in 2016, and has worked to build a presence in China despite concerns about online censorship. Also read | Study says drinking warm milk can make one sleepy, here is how Facebook and Twitter have been banned in China for more than a decade. Google left the country in 2010 in response to a hacking attack and censorship. The website of e-commerce giant Amazon is accessible in China, but the market there is dominated by local players such as Alibaba and JD.com.

Microsoft shuttering LinkedIn in China as rules tighten

China is infamous for censoring any anti-government material and several social media platforms have also faced the effect of it.<o:p></o:p>

Adding to the list is corporate-themed social media platform LinkedIn. The platform has now started censoring several profiles on its Chinese website of some journalists.<o:p></o:p>

Profiles of journalists related to western media have been censored claiming they were posting "prohibited content".

<o:p></o:p>

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/amazon-launches-dog-like-robot-that-can-monitor-your-home-416781" hreflang="en">Amazon launches dog-like robot that can monitor your home</a>

"I woke up this morning to discover that LinkedIn had blocked my profile in China,"&nbsp;B. Allen-Ebrahimian, whose account was blocked said on Twitter. "I used to have to wait for Chinese govt censors, or censors employed by Chinese companies in China, to do this kind of thing. Now a US company is paying its own employees to censor Americans."<o:p></o:p>

The censored profiles "will not be made viewable in China" as the content is being portrayed as offensive towards the communist party.<o:p></o:p>

LinkedIn had sent a notice to her in which she was told that since her LinkedIn profile is an "integral part" of how she presents her professional self to the world. "That's why we believe it’s important to inform you that due to the presence of prohibited content located in the Summary section of your LinkedIn profile, your profile and your public activity, such as your comments and items you share with your network, will not be made viewable in China," the notice read.<o:p></o:p>

"While we strongly support freedom of expression, we recognized when we launched that we would need to adhere to the requirements of the Chinese government in order to operate in China," LinkedIn told affected users, who confirmed the authenticity of the email to Insider.<o:p></o:p>

LinkedIn also claimed that they have been offering a localised version of LinkedIn in China.<o:p></o:p>

China is infamous for censoring any anti-government material and several social media platforms have also faced the effect of it. Adding to the list is corporate-themed social media platform LinkedIn.

China is infamous for censoring any anti-government material and several social media platforms have also faced the effect of it. Adding to the list is corporate-themed social media platform LinkedIn. The platform has now started censoring several profiles on its Chinese website of some journalists. Profiles of journalists related to western media have been censored claiming they were posting "prohibited content". Also read | Amazon launches dog-like robot that can monitor your home "I woke up this morning to discover that LinkedIn had blocked my profile in China," B. Allen-Ebrahimian, whose account was blocked said on Twitter. "I used to have to wait for Chinese govt censors, or censors employed by Chinese companies in China, to do this kind of thing. Now a US company is paying its own employees to censor Americans." The censored profiles "will not be made viewable in China" as the content is being portrayed as offensive towards the communist party. LinkedIn had sent a notice to her in which she was told that since her LinkedIn profile is an "integral part" of how she presents her professional self to the world. "That's why we believe it’s important to inform you that due to the presence of prohibited content located in the Summary section of your LinkedIn profile, your profile and your public activity, such as your comments and items you share with your network, will not be made viewable in China," the notice read. "While we strongly support freedom of expression, we recognized when we launched that we would need to adhere to the requirements of the Chinese government in order to operate in China," LinkedIn told affected users, who confirmed the authenticity of the email to Insider. LinkedIn also claimed that they have been offering a localised version of LinkedIn in China.

LinkedIn censors profiles of journalists in China

Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn said this week they had moved to secure the accounts of Afghan citizens to protect them against being targeted amid the Taliban's swift takeover of the country.

Facebook&nbsp;has temporarily removed the ability for people to view or search the friends lists of accounts in Afghanistan, its security policy head Nathaniel Gleicher tweeted on Thursday.

Gleicher also said the company had launched a "one-click tool" for users in Afghanistan to lock down their accounts, so people who are not their&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;friends would be unable to see their timeline posts or share their profile photos.

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Human rights groups have voiced concerns that the Taliban could use online platforms to track Afghans' digital histories or social connections.

Amnesty International said this week that thousands of Afghans, including academics, journalists and human rights defenders, were at serious risk of Taliban reprisals.

The former captain of the Afghan women's soccer team has also urged players to delete social media and erase their public identities.

Twitter Inc said it was in touch with civil society partners to provide support to groups in the country and was working with the Internet Archive to expedite direct requests to remove archived tweets.

It said if individuals were unable to access accounts containing information that could put them at risk, such as direct messages or followers, the company could temporarily suspend the accounts until users regain access and are able to delete their content.

Twitter also said it was proactively monitoring accounts affiliated with government organizations and might temporarily suspend accounts pending additional information to confirm their identity. A LinkedIn spokesman said the Microsoft-owned professional networking site had temporarily hidden the connections of its users in Afghanistan so other users would not be able to see them.

Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn said this week they had moved to secure the accounts of Afghan citizens to protect them against being targeted amid the Taliban's swift takeover of the country.

Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn said this week they had moved to secure the accounts of Afghan citizens to protect them against being targeted amid the Taliban's swift takeover of the country. Facebook has temporarily removed the ability for people to view or search the friends lists of accounts in Afghanistan, its security policy head Nathaniel Gleicher tweeted on Thursday. Gleicher also said the company had launched a "one-click tool" for users in Afghanistan to lock down their accounts, so people who are not their Facebook friends would be unable to see their timeline posts or share their profile photos. Human rights groups have voiced concerns that the Taliban could use online platforms to track Afghans' digital histories or social connections. Amnesty International said this week that thousands of Afghans, including academics, journalists and human rights defenders, were at serious risk of Taliban reprisals. The former captain of the Afghan women's soccer team has also urged players to delete social media and erase their public identities. Twitter Inc said it was in touch with civil society partners to provide support to groups in the country and was working with the Internet Archive to expedite direct requests to remove archived tweets. It said if individuals were unable to access accounts containing information that could put them at risk, such as direct messages or followers, the company could temporarily suspend the accounts until users regain access and are able to delete their content. Twitter also said it was proactively monitoring accounts affiliated with government organizations and might temporarily suspend accounts pending additional information to confirm their identity. A LinkedIn spokesman said the Microsoft-owned professional networking site had temporarily hidden the connections of its users in Afghanistan so other users would not be able to see them.

Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn secure Afghan users' accounts amid Taliban takeover

Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn moved to secure accounts of Afghan citizens to protect them against being targeted at a time when the Taliban has taken over the country.

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn move to secure accounts of Afghans amid Taliban takeover

Pfizer&nbsp;is in discussions with the Indian government seeking an "expedited approval pathway" for its COVID-19 vaccine, its CEO Albert Bourla said on LinkedIn on Monday, announcing a donation of medicines worth more than $70 million.

"We are deeply concerned by the critical COVID-19 situation in India, and our hearts go out to you, your loved ones and all the people of India," he said in a mail sent to Pfizer India employees that he posted on&nbsp;LinkedIn.

Pfizer is committed to being a partner in India's fight against this disease and is quickly working to mobilise the largest humanitarian relief effort in the company's history, he added.

"Right now, Pfizer colleagues at distribution centres in the US, Europe and Asia are hard at work rushing shipments of Pfizer medicines that the Government of India has identified as part of its COVID treatment protocol," Bourla said.

Pfizer is donating these medicines to help make sure that every COVID-19 patient in every public hospital across India can have access to the company's medicines they need free of charge, he added.

"These medicines, valued at more than $70 million, will be made available immediately, and we will work closely with the government and our NGO partners to get them to where they are needed most," Bourla said.

This effort, in combination with Pfizer Foundation funding that supports humanitarian organisations providing essential and life-saving equipment to India, such as ventilators, oxygen concentrators and consumables, is our most comprehensive humanitarian relief response ever, he added.

He also said that the company is aware that access to vaccines is critical to ending this pandemic.

"Unfortunately, our vaccine is not registered in India although our application was submitted months ago. We are currently discussing with the Indian government an expedited approval pathway to make our Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine available for use in the country," Bourla said.

Pfizer stands in solidarity with all those currently affected by COVID-19 in India and around the world and will continue to do everything possible to provide assistance, he added.

"As we work to meet the public health need and to be a partner with the Government of India to establish a path forward for our vaccine, please know you and your loved ones are foremost in our thoughts and prayers," Bourla said.

Earlier in April, Pfizer said that it had offered a not-for-profit price for its vaccine for the government immunisation programme in India.

"Pfizer remains committed to continuing our engagement with the government towards making the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine available for use in the government's immunisation programme in the country," the company had said in April.

(With inputs from agencies)

Pfizer is in discussions with the Indian government seeking an "expedited approval pathway" for its COVID-19 vaccine, its CEO Albert Bourla said on LinkedIn on Monday, announcing a donation of medicines worth more than $70 million.

Pfizer is in discussions with the Indian government seeking an "expedited approval pathway" for its COVID-19 vaccine, its CEO Albert Bourla said on LinkedIn on Monday, announcing a donation of medicines worth more than $70 million. "We are deeply concerned by the critical COVID-19 situation in India, and our hearts go out to you, your loved ones and all the people of India," he said in a mail sent to Pfizer India employees that he posted on LinkedIn. Pfizer is committed to being a partner in India's fight against this disease and is quickly working to mobilise the largest humanitarian relief effort in the company's history, he added. "Right now, Pfizer colleagues at distribution centres in the US, Europe and Asia are hard at work rushing shipments of Pfizer medicines that the Government of India has identified as part of its COVID treatment protocol," Bourla said. Pfizer is donating these medicines to help make sure that every COVID-19 patient in every public hospital across India can have access to the company's medicines they need free of charge, he added. "These medicines, valued at more than $70 million, will be made available immediately, and we will work closely with the government and our NGO partners to get them to where they are needed most," Bourla said. This effort, in combination with Pfizer Foundation funding that supports humanitarian organisations providing essential and life-saving equipment to India, such as ventilators, oxygen concentrators and consumables, is our most comprehensive humanitarian relief response ever, he added. He also said that the company is aware that access to vaccines is critical to ending this pandemic. "Unfortunately, our vaccine is not registered in India although our application was submitted months ago. We are currently discussing with the Indian government an expedited approval pathway to make our Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine available for use in the country," Bourla said. Pfizer stands in solidarity with all those currently affected by COVID-19 in India and around the world and will continue to do everything possible to provide assistance, he added. "As we work to meet the public health need and to be a partner with the Government of India to establish a path forward for our vaccine, please know you and your loved ones are foremost in our thoughts and prayers," Bourla said. Earlier in April, Pfizer said that it had offered a not-for-profit price for its vaccine for the government immunisation programme in India. "Pfizer remains committed to continuing our engagement with the government towards making the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine available for use in the government's immunisation programme in the country," the company had said in April. (With inputs from agencies)

Pfizer donates 'largest humanitarian relief' worth $70 million to India

Facebook on Monday said it is adding podcasts and "live audio rooms" in a push to get people talking and take on the fast-growing audio-based app Clubhouse.

Facebook's incursion into the audio market comes as the sudden explosion of interest in Clubhouse, an audio app where billionaires and celebrities including Tesla CEO Elon Musk have popped in to chat, could be waning.

Downloads of the Clubhouse app, which is only available on Apple's iOS devices, suffered an estimated 70 per cent&nbsp;decline in March from February when it hit a high.

Facebook has seen a steady rise in users opting for voice, from audio calls at the social network to leaving spoken messages using WhatsApp of Messenger.

Zuckerberg said the world's largest social media network planned in the coming months to launch features including short-form audio clips called "Soundbites" and ways to create sound effects or improve audio quality.&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;said in a blog post&nbsp;it would begin to test live audio rooms, which would launch by the summer.

Zuckerberg said&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;was looking to "treat audio as a first-class medium in the way that we would photos or video" in an interview on Discord with Casey Newton, editor of newsletter Platformer.

The rapid growth of the year-old app Clubhouse has demonstrated the potential of audio chat services.&nbsp;

The app, which is not yet available on Android, faces competition from multiple companies working on Clubhouse clones.

Twitter Inc is testing its live audio feature Spaces, along with new features from Discord, Microsoft-owned LinkedIn, Slack and Spotify Technology.

Reddit also unveiled a preview of its "Reddit Talks" product to moderators on Monday.

Analytics firm Sensor Tower estimated Clubhouse had a 72 per cent&nbsp;decline in growth from about 9.6 million February installs to about 2.4 million in March.

Facebook, which has long been criticized for its handling of problematic content across its products, will face the challenges of moderating live and recorded audio content.

Facebook&nbsp;said its live audio rooms would be available on its Messenger product and in its main app. It said it would test the rooms with public figures as well as in Groups - a product the company has vigorously promoted as providing places for people with common interests but which have also been used to spread misinformation and organize extremist activity.

As part of the announcements, Zuckerberg also said&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;is working with Spotify on "Project Boombox" to share and listen to music on its platform.

Facebook&nbsp;said users would be able to send donations, or tips, to creators in live audio rooms through "Stars". After launch, it will offer other types of monetization like single-purchase access or subscription for rooms. It also announced an audio creator fund for Soundbites.

The company is working to attract more creators who are accustomed to receiving tips and other direct payments from fans.

More than 170 million people are connected to Facebook pages centered on podcasts, and some 35 million users are members of podcast fan groups, but listening to one required leaving the social network.

Facebook also planned to begin testing Live Audio Rooms, expected the feature to be available to all users by the middle of this year.

To make its audio offerings sustainable for the long term, Facebook is building in ways for people creating content to make money.

(With input from agencies)

Facebook on Monday said it is adding podcasts and "live audio rooms" in a push to get people talking and take on the fast-growing audio-based app Clubhouse. Facebook's incursion into the audio market comes as the sudden explosion of interest in Clubhouse, an audio app where billionaires and celebrities including Tesla CEO Elon Musk have popped in to chat, could be waning.

Facebook on Monday said it is adding podcasts and "live audio rooms" in a push to get people talking and take on the fast-growing audio-based app Clubhouse. Facebook's incursion into the audio market comes as the sudden explosion of interest in Clubhouse, an audio app where billionaires and celebrities including Tesla CEO Elon Musk have popped in to chat, could be waning. Downloads of the Clubhouse app, which is only available on Apple's iOS devices, suffered an estimated 70 per cent decline in March from February when it hit a high. Facebook has seen a steady rise in users opting for voice, from audio calls at the social network to leaving spoken messages using WhatsApp of Messenger. Zuckerberg said the world's largest social media network planned in the coming months to launch features including short-form audio clips called "Soundbites" and ways to create sound effects or improve audio quality. Facebook said in a blog post it would begin to test live audio rooms, which would launch by the summer. Zuckerberg said Facebook was looking to "treat audio as a first-class medium in the way that we would photos or video" in an interview on Discord with Casey Newton, editor of newsletter Platformer. The rapid growth of the year-old app Clubhouse has demonstrated the potential of audio chat services. The app, which is not yet available on Android, faces competition from multiple companies working on Clubhouse clones. Twitter Inc is testing its live audio feature Spaces, along with new features from Discord, Microsoft-owned LinkedIn, Slack and Spotify Technology. Reddit also unveiled a preview of its "Reddit Talks" product to moderators on Monday. Analytics firm Sensor Tower estimated Clubhouse had a 72 per cent decline in growth from about 9.6 million February installs to about 2.4 million in March. Facebook, which has long been criticized for its handling of problematic content across its products, will face the challenges of moderating live and recorded audio content. Facebook said its live audio rooms would be available on its Messenger product and in its main app. It said it would test the rooms with public figures as well as in Groups - a product the company has vigorously promoted as providing places for people with common interests but which have also been used to spread misinformation and organize extremist activity. As part of the announcements, Zuckerberg also said Facebook is working with Spotify on "Project Boombox" to share and listen to music on its platform. Facebook said users would be able to send donations, or tips, to creators in live audio rooms through "Stars". After launch, it will offer other types of monetization like single-purchase access or subscription for rooms. It also announced an audio creator fund for Soundbites. The company is working to attract more creators who are accustomed to receiving tips and other direct payments from fans. More than 170 million people are connected to Facebook pages centered on podcasts, and some 35 million users are members of podcast fan groups, but listening to one required leaving the social network. Facebook also planned to begin testing Live Audio Rooms, expected the feature to be available to all users by the middle of this year. To make its audio offerings sustainable for the long term, Facebook is building in ways for people creating content to make money. (With input from agencies)

Facebook takes on Clubhouse, unveils big audio push, adds podcasts

LinkedIn is the latest victim of a massive data breach. Data of 500 million user profiles have been allegedly leaked by cyber criminals.

500 Million LinkedIn users’ data leaked online

Out of the 740 million users that are now part of the LinkedIn service, Data from over 500 million users is being sold online to hackers, marking the second major cybersecurity incident to be revealed in the past week, following news of a similar occurrence involving Facebook.&nbsp;

&nbsp;An archive with data purportedly scraped from 500 million LinkedIn profiles has been put for sale on a popular hacker forum, with another 2 million records leaked as a proof-of-concept sample by people behind the hack.

"The four leaked files contain information about the LinkedIn users whose data has been allegedly scraped by the threat actor, including their full names, email addresses, phone numbers, workplace information, and more," reports CyberNews.

The leaked data up on sale includes LinkedIn IDs, full names, email addresses, phone numbers, genders, links to LinkedIn profiles, links to other social media profiles, professional titles and other work-related data

"While users on the hacker forum can view the leaked samples for about $2 worth of forum credits, the threat actor appears to be auctioning the much-larger 500 million user database for at least a 4-digit sum, presumably in bitcoin," the report mentioned.

LinkedIn said in a statement on Thursday that it has "investigated an alleged set of LinkedIn data that has been posted for sale and have determined that it is an aggregation of data from several websites and companies".

"It does include publicly viewable member profile data that appears to have been scraped from LinkedIn. This was not a LinkedIn data breach, and no private member account data from LinkedIn was included in what we've been able to review," the company said.

"When anyone tries to take member data and use it for purposes LinkedIn and our members haven't agreed to, we work to stop them and hold them accountable".

The author of the post, however, claims that the data was scraped from LinkedIn.

Earlier this month, personal data of nearly 533 million (53.3 crores) Facebook users, including 61 lakh Indians, emerged online after a hacker posted the details on a digital forum.

The leaked data included Facebook ID numbers, profile names, email addresses, location information, gender details, job data, and other details.

Facebook said this was old data that it previously reported on in 2019.

"We found and fixed this issue in August 2019," a Facebook spokesperson said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Out of the 740 million users that are now part of the LinkedIn service, Data from over 500 million users is being sold online to hackers, marking the second major cybersecurity incident to be revealed in the past week, following news of a similar occurrence involving Facebook.

Out of the 740 million users that are now part of the LinkedIn service, Data from over 500 million users is being sold online to hackers, marking the second major cybersecurity incident to be revealed in the past week, following news of a similar occurrence involving Facebook. An archive with data purportedly scraped from 500 million LinkedIn profiles has been put for sale on a popular hacker forum, with another 2 million records leaked as a proof-of-concept sample by people behind the hack. "The four leaked files contain information about the LinkedIn users whose data has been allegedly scraped by the threat actor, including their full names, email addresses, phone numbers, workplace information, and more," reports CyberNews. The leaked data up on sale includes LinkedIn IDs, full names, email addresses, phone numbers, genders, links to LinkedIn profiles, links to other social media profiles, professional titles and other work-related data "While users on the hacker forum can view the leaked samples for about $2 worth of forum credits, the threat actor appears to be auctioning the much-larger 500 million user database for at least a 4-digit sum, presumably in bitcoin," the report mentioned. LinkedIn said in a statement on Thursday that it has "investigated an alleged set of LinkedIn data that has been posted for sale and have determined that it is an aggregation of data from several websites and companies". "It does include publicly viewable member profile data that appears to have been scraped from LinkedIn. This was not a LinkedIn data breach, and no private member account data from LinkedIn was included in what we've been able to review," the company said. "When anyone tries to take member data and use it for purposes LinkedIn and our members haven't agreed to, we work to stop them and hold them accountable". The author of the post, however, claims that the data was scraped from LinkedIn. Earlier this month, personal data of nearly 533 million (53.3 crores) Facebook users, including 61 lakh Indians, emerged online after a hacker posted the details on a digital forum. The leaked data included Facebook ID numbers, profile names, email addresses, location information, gender details, job data, and other details. Facebook said this was old data that it previously reported on in 2019. "We found and fixed this issue in August 2019," a Facebook spokesperson said. (With inputs from agencies)

Data from half a billion LinkedIn users leaked and put online

Professional social network LinkedIn will give nearly all of its 15,900 full-time workers next week off in order to help them avoid burnout.

According to AFP news agency, the Microsoft-owned firm said that the "RestUp!" week starting Monday is meant to give employees time for their own well-being.

"There is something magical about the entire company taking a break at the same time," LinkedIn said. "And the best part? Not coming back to an avalanche of unanswered internal emails."

During the week, LinkedIn will provide employees who may feel isolated the option of taking part in daily activities such as volunteering for worthy causes through "random acts of kindness."

"A core team of employees will continue to work for the week, but they will be able to schedule time off later," LinkedIn said.

LinkedIn, whose employees are currently working from home, does not expect them to begin returning to its offices until September, and plans to make it standard practice to let them work from home as much as half of the time.

Major technology companies were among the first in the US to adopt working from home last year to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, and most have yet to fully reopen their offices.

Professional social network LinkedIn will give nearly all of its 15,900 full-time workers next week off in order to help them avoid burnout. According to AFP news agency, the Microsoft-owned firm said that the "RestUp!

Professional social network LinkedIn will give nearly all of its 15,900 full-time workers next week off in order to help them avoid burnout. According to AFP news agency, the Microsoft-owned firm said that the "RestUp!" week starting Monday is meant to give employees time for their own well-being. "There is something magical about the entire company taking a break at the same time," LinkedIn said. "And the best part? Not coming back to an avalanche of unanswered internal emails." During the week, LinkedIn will provide employees who may feel isolated the option of taking part in daily activities such as volunteering for worthy causes through "random acts of kindness." "A core team of employees will continue to work for the week, but they will be able to schedule time off later," LinkedIn said. LinkedIn, whose employees are currently working from home, does not expect them to begin returning to its offices until September, and plans to make it standard practice to let them work from home as much as half of the time. Major technology companies were among the first in the US to adopt working from home last year to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, and most have yet to fully reopen their offices.

LinkedIn to give staff week off for well-being

LinkedIn has been the lone major American social network allowed to operate in China. To do so, the Microsoft-owned service for professionals censors the posts made by its millions of Chinese users.

Now, it’s in hot water for not censoring enough.

China’s internet regulator rebuked LinkedIn executives earlier this month for failing to control political content, according to three people briefed on the matter. Though it isn’t clear precisely what material got the company into trouble, the regulator said it found objectionable posts circulating in the period around an annual meeting of China’s lawmakers, said these people, who asked for anonymity because the issue isn’t public.

As a punishment, the people said, officials are requiring LinkedIn to perform a self-evaluation and offer a report to the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s internet regulator. The service was also forced to suspend new sign-ups of users inside China for 30 days, one of the people added, although that time period could change depending on the administration’s judgment.

The CAC did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment.

LinkedIn’s presence in China has long drawn interest across Silicon Valley as a potential path into the country’s walled-off internet, home to the world’s largest group of web users. The punishment underscores deep divisions between the United States and China over how the internet should work.

For years, China’s government has blocked major U.S. services like Facebook, Twitter and Google over its inability to control what is posted there. In Washington, critics say such barriers are symptomatic of China’s unwillingness to follow global norms governing the internet and technology more broadly.

LinkedIn’s China service, which has more than 50 million members, makes it vulnerable to tensions between the two powers. The run-in with the regulator came just weeks before Thursday’s scheduled meeting between Chinese and American officials in Alaska, the first face-to-face sit down of the Biden administration.

Competition over technology has been a key sticking point between the two countries. The Biden administration has said it will turn to allies to help pressure China on tech policies it deems unfair. Chinese officials have pushed new plans for technological self-reliance, which involve developing its own versions of everything from computer chips to jetliners.

Anxieties in Washington were recently heightened by a hack that Microsoft has tentatively linked to China aimed at businesses and government agencies that used the company’s email services.

On March 9, LinkedIn posted a statement saying it had “temporarily” stopped registering new users in China.

“We’re a global platform with an obligation to respect the laws that apply to us, including adhering to Chinese government regulations for our localized version of LinkedIn in China,” the statement added.

Local Chinese firms regularly endure similar scoldings, indicating how difficult it can be to navigate an internet market characterized by ever-tightening speech controls. On the Chinese internet, an agreement to censor doesn’t guarantee smooth sailing for any firm, foreign or local.

When it first announced it would be opening a Chinese site nearly seven years ago, LinkedIn drew curiosity from a U.S. internet industry perennially banned by the country’s Great Firewall, as China’s censorship system is nicknamed. To ensure its presence, LinkedIn sold a stake to well-connected Chinese venture capital partners and pledged to follow local laws, including censorship guidelines.

The company has used a combination of software algorithms and human reviewers to flag posts that could offend Beijing. Users who run afoul of the speech rules have generally received emails informing them that their post is not viewable by LinkedIn members in China.

Its early efforts drew ire from users whose content was blocked even if they had been posting from outside the country. Still, unlike its peers, LinkedIn has remained in China and offered a tantalizing case study in market access.

That perseverance hasn’t always translated into success. LinkedIn has had a hard time competing with WeChat, the ubiquitous Chinese chat and social media service, and remains a relatively small player.

The environment has become more difficult, too. Since he took the reins of the Communist Party in late 2012, Xi Jinping, China’s leader, has implemented a series of crackdowns on the internet. Xi’s policies have also called for deeper economic self-sufficiency and eschewing Western culture, a blow to a service whose appeal has been to connect Chinese professionals to the world.

Xi has presided over the rising power of the CAC, the regulator that punished LinkedIn. It has become a de facto ministry of censorship, poring over memes and complaints across the country’s internet, and calling for takedowns when companies’ censors miss something.

LinkedIn has been the lone major American social network allowed to operate in China. To do so, the Microsoft-owned service for professionals censors the posts made by its millions of Chinese users.

LinkedIn has been the lone major American social network allowed to operate in China. To do so, the Microsoft-owned service for professionals censors the posts made by its millions of Chinese users. Now, it’s in hot water for not censoring enough. China’s internet regulator rebuked LinkedIn executives earlier this month for failing to control political content, according to three people briefed on the matter. Though it isn’t clear precisely what material got the company into trouble, the regulator said it found objectionable posts circulating in the period around an annual meeting of China’s lawmakers, said these people, who asked for anonymity because the issue isn’t public. As a punishment, the people said, officials are requiring LinkedIn to perform a self-evaluation and offer a report to the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s internet regulator. The service was also forced to suspend new sign-ups of users inside China for 30 days, one of the people added, although that time period could change depending on the administration’s judgment. The CAC did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment. LinkedIn’s presence in China has long drawn interest across Silicon Valley as a potential path into the country’s walled-off internet, home to the world’s largest group of web users. The punishment underscores deep divisions between the United States and China over how the internet should work. For years, China’s government has blocked major U.S. services like Facebook, Twitter and Google over its inability to control what is posted there. In Washington, critics say such barriers are symptomatic of China’s unwillingness to follow global norms governing the internet and technology more broadly. LinkedIn’s China service, which has more than 50 million members, makes it vulnerable to tensions between the two powers. The run-in with the regulator came just weeks before Thursday’s scheduled meeting between Chinese and American officials in Alaska, the first face-to-face sit down of the Biden administration. Competition over technology has been a key sticking point between the two countries. The Biden administration has said it will turn to allies to help pressure China on tech policies it deems unfair. Chinese officials have pushed new plans for technological self-reliance, which involve developing its own versions of everything from computer chips to jetliners. Anxieties in Washington were recently heightened by a hack that Microsoft has tentatively linked to China aimed at businesses and government agencies that used the company’s email services. On March 9, LinkedIn posted a statement saying it had “temporarily” stopped registering new users in China. “We’re a global platform with an obligation to respect the laws that apply to us, including adhering to Chinese government regulations for our localized version of LinkedIn in China,” the statement added. Local Chinese firms regularly endure similar scoldings, indicating how difficult it can be to navigate an internet market characterized by ever-tightening speech controls. On the Chinese internet, an agreement to censor doesn’t guarantee smooth sailing for any firm, foreign or local. When it first announced it would be opening a Chinese site nearly seven years ago, LinkedIn drew curiosity from a U.S. internet industry perennially banned by the country’s Great Firewall, as China’s censorship system is nicknamed. To ensure its presence, LinkedIn sold a stake to well-connected Chinese venture capital partners and pledged to follow local laws, including censorship guidelines. The company has used a combination of software algorithms and human reviewers to flag posts that could offend Beijing. Users who run afoul of the speech rules have generally received emails informing them that their post is not viewable by LinkedIn members in China. Its early efforts drew ire from users whose content was blocked even if they had been posting from outside the country. Still, unlike its peers, LinkedIn has remained in China and offered a tantalizing case study in market access. That perseverance hasn’t always translated into success. LinkedIn has had a hard time competing with WeChat, the ubiquitous Chinese chat and social media service, and remains a relatively small player. The environment has become more difficult, too. Since he took the reins of the Communist Party in late 2012, Xi Jinping, China’s leader, has implemented a series of crackdowns on the internet. Xi’s policies have also called for deeper economic self-sufficiency and eschewing Western culture, a blow to a service whose appeal has been to connect Chinese professionals to the world. Xi has presided over the rising power of the CAC, the regulator that punished LinkedIn. It has become a de facto ministry of censorship, poring over memes and complaints across the country’s internet, and calling for takedowns when companies’ censors miss something.

China punishes Microsoft’s LinkedIn over lax censorship

Microsoft-owned social network LinkedIn has halted new member sign-ups for its service in China while it reviews its compliance with local laws, the company said in a statement.

The careers-focused site has had a Chinese-language presence since 2014, when it decided to expand by agreeing to stick to strict censorship laws, and now has over 50 million users in the country.

It is one of few international tech platforms to enjoy access to China, where all subjects considered politically sensitive are censored in the name of stability and internet giants are urged to block unwanted content online.

"We're a global platform with an obligation to respect the laws that apply to us, including adhering to Chinese government regulations for our localized version of LinkedIn in China," the firm said in a notice dated Tuesday, without providing further details.

Tech giants who refuse to comply with the smothering censorship laws, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, have long been blocked behind the country's "Great Firewall".

Microsoft, however, operates LinkedIn by complying with the rules through a local joint venture.

LinkedIn has been criticised in China for pulling the professional accounts of dissidents -- which it later said was in error -- and scratching politically sensitive content from its pages.

It was not immediately clear which laws had prodded LinkedIn's suspension of sign-ups.

Last week, Microsoft said a state-sponsored hacking group operating out of China was exploiting previously unknown security flaws in its Exchange email services to steal data from business users -- although Beijing has previously hit back at US accusations of state-sponsored cybertheft.

A LinkedIn spokesperson told Bloomberg that the move was not related to the hack.

Microsoft's journey in China has not been entirely smooth-sailing, with the company's search engine Bing temporarily taken offline in 2019 -- prompting speculation it had been blocked by censors.

In 2014, Chinese competition authorities opened an anti-monopoly investigation against Microsoft and its Windows software, with inspectors raiding the group's offices in four Chinese cities, confiscating files and questioning employees.

Microsoft-owned social network LinkedIn has halted new member sign-ups for its service in China while it reviews its compliance with local laws, the company said in a statement.

Microsoft-owned social network LinkedIn has halted new member sign-ups for its service in China while it reviews its compliance with local laws, the company said in a statement. The careers-focused site has had a Chinese-language presence since 2014, when it decided to expand by agreeing to stick to strict censorship laws, and now has over 50 million users in the country. It is one of few international tech platforms to enjoy access to China, where all subjects considered politically sensitive are censored in the name of stability and internet giants are urged to block unwanted content online. "We're a global platform with an obligation to respect the laws that apply to us, including adhering to Chinese government regulations for our localized version of LinkedIn in China," the firm said in a notice dated Tuesday, without providing further details. Tech giants who refuse to comply with the smothering censorship laws, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, have long been blocked behind the country's "Great Firewall". Microsoft, however, operates LinkedIn by complying with the rules through a local joint venture. LinkedIn has been criticised in China for pulling the professional accounts of dissidents -- which it later said was in error -- and scratching politically sensitive content from its pages. It was not immediately clear which laws had prodded LinkedIn's suspension of sign-ups. Last week, Microsoft said a state-sponsored hacking group operating out of China was exploiting previously unknown security flaws in its Exchange email services to steal data from business users -- although Beijing has previously hit back at US accusations of state-sponsored cybertheft. A LinkedIn spokesperson told Bloomberg that the move was not related to the hack. Microsoft's journey in China has not been entirely smooth-sailing, with the company's search engine Bing temporarily taken offline in 2019 -- prompting speculation it had been blocked by censors. In 2014, Chinese competition authorities opened an anti-monopoly investigation against Microsoft and its Windows software, with inspectors raiding the group's offices in four Chinese cities, confiscating files and questioning employees.

LinkedIn China suspends new sign-ups to 'respect law'

Microsoft-owned social network LinkedIn has halted new member sign-ups for its service in China while it reviews its compliance with local laws, the company said in a statemen

Do we have an alternative to Facebook as it isn't mending its ways? Should we all just log out of it? Delete accounts. Can we do that? &nbsp;

Many of our apps are linked to it. We chat with our friends, interact with our interest groups, share life events, achievements on Facebook.&nbsp;

Even job openings are shared on Facebook.&nbsp;

Can you do without Facebook, Whatsapp?&nbsp;

Not just these two, can you do without such big tech companies in your life?&nbsp;

The millennials might think it is impossible, those older would say there was a time when there was no social media.&nbsp;

Life was just fine without Facebook but we can't go back to that age and why should we? &nbsp;

WATCH|

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-are-there-alternatives-to-facebook-364918/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

It's not like we're riding camels because cars pollute. We have to look for better alternatives, create and support them. We have to ensure they're not just good but also safe. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Perhaps local platforms that don't pry on our private lives. One may say a local platform will limit your connections, not give you the same user experience, and you may be right.&nbsp;

Facebook has nearly three billion users and almost 32% of the world's population. A local platform is unlikely to have even a fraction of it but do we really need an exhaustive friend list?&nbsp;

Have you heard of the Dunbar number? 150 is the Dunbar number. It is said that we can only maintain around 150 connections at once. There are five people in your tighest circle. You have 15 good friends, 50 friends and 150 meaningful contacts.&nbsp;

British anthropologist Robin Dunbar came up with this theory. The researchers he influenced say, the magic number 150 remains true even today in the age of social media. They say the moment your network exceeds 150, it is unlikely to last long or cohere well.&nbsp;

So, local platforms, with not-so-overwhelming number of users, can be alternatives.&nbsp;

You may now say Facebook is more than just making and maintaining friends. Sure, it is and there are alternatives for that too.&nbsp;

Pinterest for interest groups, twitter for your protests and showing off your knowledge can be done on Linkedin along with job hunt.&nbsp;

Not endorsing any platform and just trying to say we do have alternatives to Facebook.&nbsp;

What governments should do is create awareness and let people choose.&nbsp;

Governments should legislate and regulate, talk to people about the importance of safeguarding their data, educate them about how data is misused and how tech monopolies can be dangerous.&nbsp;

Governments can encourage local tech companies by providing grants for innovations.&nbsp;

But start by talking about the problem. In India, when Whatsapp announced its privacy policy. Many people did not realise what the fuss was all about as no one ever spoke to them about data sensitivity.&nbsp;

What we need today is digital education and while we discuss all of this, there is one country that may be having the last laugh. It is China as it has banned Facebook and all major western tech platforms.&nbsp;

China has its own firewall and with big tech becoming a menace, this China model may become attractive to some countries.&nbsp;

When democracy is under threat and events like Capitol Hill happen, China gets to showcase its model of governance as the more effective one. There is no way Beijing will not try to sell its digital model too. It is more profitable than selling dictatorship as China wants to stay ahead of the curve in the 5G race. If it manages to export its firewall, set standards around it, it can make money from patents.&nbsp;

Technology is integral to China's dream of digital dominance. Big tech with all its nuisance may be bringing that dream to life. It is creating a mess in our countries and giving China a chance to have the last laugh.&nbsp;

Do we have an alternative to Facebook as it isn't mending its ways? Should we all just log out of it? Delete accounts. Can we do that? Many of our apps are linked to it.

Do we have an alternative to Facebook as it isn't mending its ways? Should we all just log out of it? Delete accounts. Can we do that? Many of our apps are linked to it. We chat with our friends, interact with our interest groups, share life events, achievements on Facebook. Even job openings are shared on Facebook. Can you do without Facebook, Whatsapp? Not just these two, can you do without such big tech companies in your life? The millennials might think it is impossible, those older would say there was a time when there was no social media. Life was just fine without Facebook but we can't go back to that age and why should we? WATCH| It's not like we're riding camels because cars pollute. We have to look for better alternatives, create and support them. We have to ensure they're not just good but also safe. Perhaps local platforms that don't pry on our private lives. One may say a local platform will limit your connections, not give you the same user experience, and you may be right. Facebook has nearly three billion users and almost 32% of the world's population. A local platform is unlikely to have even a fraction of it but do we really need an exhaustive friend list? Have you heard of the Dunbar number? 150 is the Dunbar number. It is said that we can only maintain around 150 connections at once. There are five people in your tighest circle. You have 15 good friends, 50 friends and 150 meaningful contacts. British anthropologist Robin Dunbar came up with this theory. The researchers he influenced say, the magic number 150 remains true even today in the age of social media. They say the moment your network exceeds 150, it is unlikely to last long or cohere well. So, local platforms, with not-so-overwhelming number of users, can be alternatives. You may now say Facebook is more than just making and maintaining friends. Sure, it is and there are alternatives for that too. Pinterest for interest groups, twitter for your protests and showing off your knowledge can be done on Linkedin along with job hunt. Not endorsing any platform and just trying to say we do have alternatives to Facebook. What governments should do is create awareness and let people choose. Governments should legislate and regulate, talk to people about the importance of safeguarding their data, educate them about how data is misused and how tech monopolies can be dangerous. Governments can encourage local tech companies by providing grants for innovations. But start by talking about the problem. In India, when Whatsapp announced its privacy policy. Many people did not realise what the fuss was all about as no one ever spoke to them about data sensitivity. What we need today is digital education and while we discuss all of this, there is one country that may be having the last laugh. It is China as it has banned Facebook and all major western tech platforms. China has its own firewall and with big tech becoming a menace, this China model may become attractive to some countries. When democracy is under threat and events like Capitol Hill happen, China gets to showcase its model of governance as the more effective one. There is no way Beijing will not try to sell its digital model too. It is more profitable than selling dictatorship as China wants to stay ahead of the curve in the 5G race. If it manages to export its firewall, set standards around it, it can make money from patents. Technology is integral to China's dream of digital dominance. Big tech with all its nuisance may be bringing that dream to life. It is creating a mess in our countries and giving China a chance to have the last laugh.

Can we do without big tech companies?

Indian professionals are cautiously optimistic heading into 2021 as two in five Indian professionals expect an increase in the number of new jobs, LinkedIn year-end data shows.

LinkedIn on Thursday released a key survey and platform data for 2020. According to LinkedIn year-end data, India has remained cautiously optimistic and resilient in the face of uncertainty, and overall confidence scores remained steady between 50 and 57 from April to November.

As per the findings, two in five (40 per cent) Indian professionals expect an increase in the number of new jobs (up from 19 per cent in April), and one in two (53 per cent) expect their companies to do better in the next six months, going into 2021.

The workforce sentiment data and confidence scores are based on the online survey responses of 21,066 professionals from April to November 2020 as part of the LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index, which is a fortnightly pulse on the confidence of the Indian workforce.

"The year 2020 was a disruptive year, and 2021 will help us tackle unforeseen challenges and prepare for new realities. Going forward, India will reimagine the future of work across five areas, specifically the workplace, careers, recruiting, business, and leadership styles," said Ashutosh Gupta, India Country Manager, Linkedin.

Gupta further noted that "in 2021, skills-first hiring will be a pivotal trend, the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) will play a critical role, the virtual collaboration will become stronger, and learning will be part of everyone's job. At LinkedIn, we will continue to help professionals navigate these changes and we will stay committed to helping members get closer to opportunities."

In 2020, online learning and digital skills took centre stage and Indian professionals pivoted to upskill themselves and stay productive.

LinkedIn data states that the average number of monthly learning hours on LinkedIn Learning increased 3X from April to December 2020, compared to pre-COVID months of January and February.

As per LinkedIn's year-end findings, three in five (57 per cent) professionals say they will increase their time spent in online learning going forward.

However, working in isolation and navigating a tough job market over the past few months has adversely affected India's emotional well-being and financial outlook.

As of November 2020, four in five (78 per cent) unemployed professionals feel stressed, and only one in three (32 per cent) Indians expect their incomes to increase, heading into the New Year.

This holiday season, three in five (61 per cent) Indian professionals said they will take less time off, while about nine in ten (87 per cent) said they will spend equal or more time working at their primary jobs this year-end, it noted.

Indian professionals are cautiously optimistic heading into 2021 as two in five Indian professionals expect an increase in the number of new jobs, LinkedIn year-end data shows.

Indian professionals are cautiously optimistic heading into 2021 as two in five Indian professionals expect an increase in the number of new jobs, LinkedIn year-end data shows. LinkedIn on Thursday released a key survey and platform data for 2020. According to LinkedIn year-end data, India has remained cautiously optimistic and resilient in the face of uncertainty, and overall confidence scores remained steady between 50 and 57 from April to November. As per the findings, two in five (40 per cent) Indian professionals expect an increase in the number of new jobs (up from 19 per cent in April), and one in two (53 per cent) expect their companies to do better in the next six months, going into 2021. The workforce sentiment data and confidence scores are based on the online survey responses of 21,066 professionals from April to November 2020 as part of the LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index, which is a fortnightly pulse on the confidence of the Indian workforce. "The year 2020 was a disruptive year, and 2021 will help us tackle unforeseen challenges and prepare for new realities. Going forward, India will reimagine the future of work across five areas, specifically the workplace, careers, recruiting, business, and leadership styles," said Ashutosh Gupta, India Country Manager, Linkedin. Gupta further noted that "in 2021, skills-first hiring will be a pivotal trend, the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) will play a critical role, the virtual collaboration will become stronger, and learning will be part of everyone's job. At LinkedIn, we will continue to help professionals navigate these changes and we will stay committed to helping members get closer to opportunities." In 2020, online learning and digital skills took centre stage and Indian professionals pivoted to upskill themselves and stay productive. LinkedIn data states that the average number of monthly learning hours on LinkedIn Learning increased 3X from April to December 2020, compared to pre-COVID months of January and February. As per LinkedIn's year-end findings, three in five (57 per cent) professionals say they will increase their time spent in online learning going forward. However, working in isolation and navigating a tough job market over the past few months has adversely affected India's emotional well-being and financial outlook. As of November 2020, four in five (78 per cent) unemployed professionals feel stressed, and only one in three (32 per cent) Indians expect their incomes to increase, heading into the New Year. This holiday season, three in five (61 per cent) Indian professionals said they will take less time off, while about nine in ten (87 per cent) said they will spend equal or more time working at their primary jobs this year-end, it noted.

Indian professionals cautiously optimistic heading into 2021; 40% expect jobs to increase: LinkedIn

WASHINGTON — One day in September, Elizabeth Leiba opened the LinkedIn app and saw a post by Aaisha Joseph, a diversity consultant with nearly 16,000 followers on the platform.

“Ima need #companies to stop sending their dedicated House Negros to ‘deal with the Blacks’ they deem out of control,” read the item. “It’s really not a good look — it’s actually a very #whitesupremacist and #racist one.”

The post was exactly the sort of thing Leiba, an instructional design manager at City College in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was looking for. These days, when she pulls out her phone in search of boisterous conversation, hot takes and the latest tea, she finds herself tapping LinkedIn, which since the killing of George Floyd has become a thriving forum for Black expression.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-announces-charges-against-chinese-malaysians-involved-in-worldwide-hacking-racket-328011">Also read|&nbsp;US announces charges against Chinese, Malaysians involved in worldwide hacking racket</a>

“I go onto Twitter and I get bored,” Leiba, 46, said. “Then I go right back to LinkedIn because it’s on fire. I don’t even have to go on any other social media now.”

It’s an unexpected development for what has long been the most polite and perhaps the dullest of the major social networks. LinkedIn was founded in 2003 as a place to network and post résumés — essentially, a directory of white-collar professionals. A few years ago, LinkedIn added a Facebook-like news feed that encouraged users to post links and updates, but it has never been a rollicking space. A team of editors helped enforce a mood best described as corporate.

“You talk on LinkedIn the same way you talk in the office,” Dan Roth, LinkedIn’s editor-in-chief, told The New York Times in August 2019. “There are certain boundaries around what is acceptable.”

Two staggering events have changed that. In early 2020, the pandemic hit, forcing millions to work from home and miss out on break-room chitchat — boosting LinkedIn as a place to vent. Then, the killing of Floyd in police custody in May put workers over the edge. Black grief went on display, uninhibited, at corporate America’s virtual water cooler.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/microsoft-to-buy-linkedin-for-262-billion-in-its-biggest-ever-deal-418">Also read|&nbsp;Microsoft to buy LinkedIn for $26.2 billion in its biggest-ever deal</a>

“I was just 43 years tired,” said Future Cain, a social- and emotional-learning director at a middle and high school in Wisconsin. “I was using LinkedIn to post positive things and uplift people during the pandemic, and I decided I can’t sit here quietly anymore.”

As protesters took to the streets to demand police reform, Leiba and Cain were among those who discovered that LinkedIn was a place to speak to the executive class on something like their home turf. Black users have taken to the site to call out racial discrimination in the workplace and share their stories of alienation on the job.

Not that it’s all serious: Much of the posting is exuberant — full of memes, Black cultural references and linguistic panache. This summer, Leiba shared a video about code-switching, in which a Black employee transforms while greeting colleagues of color (“Oh, hey, Black queen!”) and a white one (empty-headed hiking talk). “I’ve watched it at least fifty eleven times,” Leiba wrote.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/what-after-linkedin-will-twitter-get-bought-next-or-is-the-social-network-bubble-about-to-burst-472">Also read|&nbsp;What after LinkedIn: Will Twitter get bought next or is the social network bubble about to burst?</a>

These are the kinds of conversations, and ways of speaking, that cubicle-dwelling Black workers have typically held out of earshot of their white colleagues. As unusually charismatic posts appeared in my own feed this summer, it seemed clear that Black LinkedIn was emerging as a professional cousin to Black Twitter — the unapologetically Black digital space where people expose long-ignored injustices and pump their experience into the mainstream.

What’s less clear is how comfortable LinkedIn is with the development, having placed its content moderators in the incendiary position of determining what manner of race-related speech is appropriate for its virtual workplace of 706 million users.

Black users who post in forceful tones, and some of their allies, say they feel LinkedIn has silenced them — erasing their posts and even freezing their accounts for violating vague rules of decorum.

For example, the “House Negros” post that Joseph wrote in September vanished from the platform. Joseph, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, was able to see it when she viewed her own page, but no other users could — a practice known as shadow banning. (Later, LinkedIn added an unsigned note in red, saying the post had been removed for violating the site’s Professional Community Policies, which instruct users to “be civil and respectful in every single interaction.”) Joseph began a new item: “Let me say it louder since LinkedIn wanted to delete my post the first time.” The company removed that post, too, saying it included “harassment, defamation or disparagement of others.”

Theresa M. Robinson, a corporate training consultant in Houston, said LinkedIn had deleted a post she wrote about racism, then reinstated it after she complained. She said she never received an explanation. Two others, Cain and Madison Butler, who works in Austin, Texas, also said LinkedIn had restricted their commentary on race.

In the absence of clear communication from the company, these users are left guessing as to what the rules are — and feeling that the company is not just policing their tone but stifling their opportunity to force change in corporate America.

Nicole Leverich, a LinkedIn spokeswoman, wrote in an email: “We are not censoring content and have not made any changes to our algorithm to reduce the distribution of content about these important topics.” She added in an interview that LinkedIn was introducing a new process for notifying users when their posts were flagged for violating platform rules, and that some people hadn’t been phased in by the end of September.

The company acknowledged that it had erred in taking action against some users and restored content that was found, on appeal, not to violate its policies.

“If we make a mistake, we will own it,” said Paul Rockwell, head of LinkedIn’s trust and safety division. “We will be very clear — this is a learning opportunity for us. We’re going to continue to use that in our journey to get better and better. And we do want to nail this thing.”

Hard conversations about race

Few people think LinkedIn should look anything like the wilds of Reddit or Twitter, which have a certain amount of anonymity and even anarchy built into their DNA. Much of LinkedIn’s value — Microsoft acquired it in 2016 for $26 billion — is tied to its sense of professionalism and respectful conduct. Users must share their real names and credentials, and it’s understood that their current or prospective employers might well scan anything they post.

For Black people in the corporate realm, however, words like “professional” and “respectful” are red flags. Like the natural Black hairstyles that were once widely considered unprofessional, certain behaviors — being too Black, speaking too Black or talking too much about Black topics — have long limited advancement in companies with white cultures.

That’s what has changed on LinkedIn in the last few months. Black people are being, to use a technical term, Blackity-Black Black on LinkedIn. Much of the behavior is not so different from Black Twitter; users pepper their posts with clap emojis to emphasize every syllable, and GIFs celebrate cultural touchstones like Issa Rae’s “Insecure” and Jordan Peele’s “Get Out.” The difference is that it is all happening on a social network that mirrors the business world — a place that is predominantly white.

“It is liberating. It feels like it’s about time,” Joseph said. “We are taking back what was stolen from us — and that’s our voice. I’m talking specifically to my people in the way that we talk to each other in other spaces, and without regard for any outside audience. No longer having to stifle that has been freeing.”

Part of what Black LinkedIn has done is brought together Black professionals to be their authentic selves in front of their white colleagues. For many, it has been an existential relief, and may provide a blueprint for how Black employees choose to conduct themselves once the physical workplace reopens.

“The days of hiding and masking who you are and dealing with the BS — I just can’t even go back to that,” said Jessica Pharm, 33, who works in human resources at a manufacturing firm near Milwaukee. “Any company that gets me next is getting the full-on Jessica.”

Leiba posted on Sept. 17: “It means code-switching is OUT. It means the AFRO is coming at you on a daily basis. It means you’re getting these bangle earrings and the poppin’ lip gloss.”

Inevitably, not everyone accepts this kind of exuberance. Posts about Black Lives Matter and racial justice often attract the same kind of dismissive, and sometimes bigoted, responses found on other platforms: rejoinders that “all lives matter” or claims about Black-on-Black crime. But because the activity takes place on LinkedIn, these comments typically come with the user’s headshot, place of employment and entire work history attached.

“You start to see these people who are absolutely not OK with this focus on Blackness popping up in commentary, with their name and their company fully on display, giving zero deference to the moment,” said John Graham Jr., 39, a digital marketer and strategist at a California biotechnology company. “I find it telling that people would put their careers in jeopardy and their unconscious biases on full display.”

LinkedIn has also struggled internally with how to respond to the Black Lives Matter movement. In June, chief executive Ryan Roslansky publicly apologized for “appalling” racial comments some employees had made at a companywide staff meeting.

Rosanna Durruthy, LinkedIn’s head of diversity, inclusion and belonging, said in an interview that the company was engaging in hard conversations about race, both inside the company and out.

“We’re really beginning to focus very consistently on how we begin to address this externally” on the platform, she said.

‘Break down the status quo’

One of the most vociferous presences on Black LinkedIn is Butler, a human resources consultant and vice president at a startup. She has posted on LinkedIn since 2018 and with increasing frequency and fervor this year. The potential to speak truth to capital, she said, makes the resulting rounds of death threats worth it.

“There is something to be said about the access LinkedIn gives you to powerful CEOs and VCs to help change their outlook and how they support Black employees and founders,” said Butler, 29, referring to venture capitalists. “The conversation that has to happen in order to break down the status quo in corporate America isn’t happening on Instagram.”

Butler, who has about 40,000 followers, posts on LinkedIn daily. Her style is to be prescriptive, assail corporate norms and call out whitesplainers and trolls; she tends to close each missive with the hashtags #isaidwhatisaid, #thatsthetea and #blackgirlmagic. One recent post scolded companies that make a show of cheering on the Black Lives Matter movement but haven’t done right by their employees.

“Do the Black people in your organization feel like they matter, or do they feel like the Black stock photos you used to enhance your ‘wokeness’ footprint in the marketplace. If you can’t make the Black lives under your own roof matter, do not use Black Lives Matter as a brand strategy,” Butler wrote recently. “Don’t talk about it, be about it. Period.”

Other stars of Black LinkedIn target specific companies. Joseph, for example, has recently called out Wells Fargo, DoorDash, Microsoft and Google.

There has also been no shortage of criticism of LinkedIn itself. Users are holding the company to a standard it set for itself in June, when Melissa Selcher, chief marketing and communications officer, wrote an open letter on the platform.

“We have a responsibility to use our platform and resources to intentionally address the systemic barriers to economic opportunity,” she wrote. “We also believe we play a critical role in amplifying Black voices.”

Also in June, with Black Lives Matter protests spreading across the country, LinkedIn highlighted “Black Voices to Follow and Amplify,” a curated list of chief executives, media personalities and other influencers, including the Rev. Bernice King and Karamo Brown from the Netflix show “Queer Eye.” For the most part, members of the list post content that is general, motivational and safe.

Joseph and others took to LinkedIn to say the group contained too many establishment names and not enough activists. “Where are the Tamika Mallorys of LinkedIn on that list?” Joseph wrote, referring to a co-founder of the 2017 Women’s March.

“Black voices aren’t just corporate C-Suite ones,” wrote Patricia S. Gatlin, a talent sourcing specialist in Las Vegas.

“All Black voices need to be heard in this moment,” added Scott Taylor, a recruiter in Los Angeles. “Not just the ones your team of analysts think we should hear from.”

Leverich, the LinkedIn spokeswoman, said by email: “We use a number of factors in our selection, including members who have self-identified as Black, people from a variety of industries and with an interesting perspective to share. We’re constantly adding new voices and sorting through requests to join this program.”

In September, LinkedIn used its own company page to pose a question to its 13 million followers: “What are the best ways to normalize having conversations about race and anti-racism in the workplace? #ConversationsForChange”

The responses quickly turned sour. “LinkedIn, you can facilitate that objective by normalizing those conversations on your platform,” wrote Lenzy Ruffin, a communications strategist in Washington, D.C.

“The irony that you should post this!” wrote Abi Adamson, a diversity and inclusion consultant in London. “Kindly stop censoring Black content around racism. People like me have had our engagement go down astronomically when highlighting racism or how to be anti-racist. Help amplify our voices and stop silencing us.”

Sabrina McClimans, a graduate student in Seattle, asked the platform to “stop ‘accidentally’ disappearing the posts of Black women on your platform when they talk about race and anti-racism.”

Phil Molé, who works at a software company in Chicago, added: “I have seen cases in which individuals who harass Black women on this platform have maintained their accounts while those who speak out against racism and prejudice have had accounts suspended. It’s time for a thorough review of the way the issues are handled.”

LinkedIn did not respond to those comments. Philip Mix, a consultant in London, added to the thread after a day and a half, when there were 344 comments, saying he had gone through them “three times to make sure I wasn’t mistaken.” By his count, LinkedIn had replied to five users — four times to say “Thank you for sharing” and once with “Nicely put.”

Mix concluded: “Not sure if I’m more shocked or depressed by this miserably inadequate show from LinkedIn.”

WASHINGTON — One day in September, Elizabeth Leiba opened the LinkedIn app and saw a post by Aaisha Joseph, a diversity consultant with nearly 16,000 followers on the platform.

WASHINGTON — One day in September, Elizabeth Leiba opened the LinkedIn app and saw a post by Aaisha Joseph, a diversity consultant with nearly 16,000 followers on the platform. “Ima need #companies to stop sending their dedicated House Negros to ‘deal with the Blacks’ they deem out of control,” read the item. “It’s really not a good look — it’s actually a very #whitesupremacist and #racist one.” The post was exactly the sort of thing Leiba, an instructional design manager at City College in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was looking for. These days, when she pulls out her phone in search of boisterous conversation, hot takes and the latest tea, she finds herself tapping LinkedIn, which since the killing of George Floyd has become a thriving forum for Black expression. Also read| US announces charges against Chinese, Malaysians involved in worldwide hacking racket “I go onto Twitter and I get bored,” Leiba, 46, said. “Then I go right back to LinkedIn because it’s on fire. I don’t even have to go on any other social media now.” It’s an unexpected development for what has long been the most polite and perhaps the dullest of the major social networks. LinkedIn was founded in 2003 as a place to network and post résumés — essentially, a directory of white-collar professionals. A few years ago, LinkedIn added a Facebook-like news feed that encouraged users to post links and updates, but it has never been a rollicking space. A team of editors helped enforce a mood best described as corporate. “You talk on LinkedIn the same way you talk in the office,” Dan Roth, LinkedIn’s editor-in-chief, told The New York Times in August 2019. “There are certain boundaries around what is acceptable.” Two staggering events have changed that. In early 2020, the pandemic hit, forcing millions to work from home and miss out on break-room chitchat — boosting LinkedIn as a place to vent. Then, the killing of Floyd in police custody in May put workers over the edge. Black grief went on display, uninhibited, at corporate America’s virtual water cooler. Also read| Microsoft to buy LinkedIn for $26.2 billion in its biggest-ever deal “I was just 43 years tired,” said Future Cain, a social- and emotional-learning director at a middle and high school in Wisconsin. “I was using LinkedIn to post positive things and uplift people during the pandemic, and I decided I can’t sit here quietly anymore.” As protesters took to the streets to demand police reform, Leiba and Cain were among those who discovered that LinkedIn was a place to speak to the executive class on something like their home turf. Black users have taken to the site to call out racial discrimination in the workplace and share their stories of alienation on the job. Not that it’s all serious: Much of the posting is exuberant — full of memes, Black cultural references and linguistic panache. This summer, Leiba shared a video about code-switching, in which a Black employee transforms while greeting colleagues of color (“Oh, hey, Black queen!”) and a white one (empty-headed hiking talk). “I’ve watched it at least fifty eleven times,” Leiba wrote. Also read| What after LinkedIn: Will Twitter get bought next or is the social network bubble about to burst? These are the kinds of conversations, and ways of speaking, that cubicle-dwelling Black workers have typically held out of earshot of their white colleagues. As unusually charismatic posts appeared in my own feed this summer, it seemed clear that Black LinkedIn was emerging as a professional cousin to Black Twitter — the unapologetically Black digital space where people expose long-ignored injustices and pump their experience into the mainstream. What’s less clear is how comfortable LinkedIn is with the development, having placed its content moderators in the incendiary position of determining what manner of race-related speech is appropriate for its virtual workplace of 706 million users. Black users who post in forceful tones, and some of their allies, say they feel LinkedIn has silenced them — erasing their posts and even freezing their accounts for violating vague rules of decorum. For example, the “House Negros” post that Joseph wrote in September vanished from the platform. Joseph, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, was able to see it when she viewed her own page, but no other users could — a practice known as shadow banning. (Later, LinkedIn added an unsigned note in red, saying the post had been removed for violating the site’s Professional Community Policies, which instruct users to “be civil and respectful in every single interaction.”) Joseph began a new item: “Let me say it louder since LinkedIn wanted to delete my post the first time.” The company removed that post, too, saying it included “harassment, defamation or disparagement of others.” Theresa M. Robinson, a corporate training consultant in Houston, said LinkedIn had deleted a post she wrote about racism, then reinstated it after she complained. She said she never received an explanation. Two others, Cain and Madison Butler, who works in Austin, Texas, also said LinkedIn had restricted their commentary on race. In the absence of clear communication from the company, these users are left guessing as to what the rules are — and feeling that the company is not just policing their tone but stifling their opportunity to force change in corporate America. Nicole Leverich, a LinkedIn spokeswoman, wrote in an email: “We are not censoring content and have not made any changes to our algorithm to reduce the distribution of content about these important topics.” She added in an interview that LinkedIn was introducing a new process for notifying users when their posts were flagged for violating platform rules, and that some people hadn’t been phased in by the end of September. The company acknowledged that it had erred in taking action against some users and restored content that was found, on appeal, not to violate its policies. “If we make a mistake, we will own it,” said Paul Rockwell, head of LinkedIn’s trust and safety division. “We will be very clear — this is a learning opportunity for us. We’re going to continue to use that in our journey to get better and better. And we do want to nail this thing.” Hard conversations about race Few people think LinkedIn should look anything like the wilds of Reddit or Twitter, which have a certain amount of anonymity and even anarchy built into their DNA. Much of LinkedIn’s value — Microsoft acquired it in 2016 for $26 billion — is tied to its sense of professionalism and respectful conduct. Users must share their real names and credentials, and it’s understood that their current or prospective employers might well scan anything they post. For Black people in the corporate realm, however, words like “professional” and “respectful” are red flags. Like the natural Black hairstyles that were once widely considered unprofessional, certain behaviors — being too Black, speaking too Black or talking too much about Black topics — have long limited advancement in companies with white cultures. That’s what has changed on LinkedIn in the last few months. Black people are being, to use a technical term, Blackity-Black Black on LinkedIn. Much of the behavior is not so different from Black Twitter; users pepper their posts with clap emojis to emphasize every syllable, and GIFs celebrate cultural touchstones like Issa Rae’s “Insecure” and Jordan Peele’s “Get Out.” The difference is that it is all happening on a social network that mirrors the business world — a place that is predominantly white. “It is liberating. It feels like it’s about time,” Joseph said. “We are taking back what was stolen from us — and that’s our voice. I’m talking specifically to my people in the way that we talk to each other in other spaces, and without regard for any outside audience. No longer having to stifle that has been freeing.” Part of what Black LinkedIn has done is brought together Black professionals to be their authentic selves in front of their white colleagues. For many, it has been an existential relief, and may provide a blueprint for how Black employees choose to conduct themselves once the physical workplace reopens. “The days of hiding and masking who you are and dealing with the BS — I just can’t even go back to that,” said Jessica Pharm, 33, who works in human resources at a manufacturing firm near Milwaukee. “Any company that gets me next is getting the full-on Jessica.” Leiba posted on Sept. 17: “It means code-switching is OUT. It means the AFRO is coming at you on a daily basis. It means you’re getting these bangle earrings and the poppin’ lip gloss.” Inevitably, not everyone accepts this kind of exuberance. Posts about Black Lives Matter and racial justice often attract the same kind of dismissive, and sometimes bigoted, responses found on other platforms: rejoinders that “all lives matter” or claims about Black-on-Black crime. But because the activity takes place on LinkedIn, these comments typically come with the user’s headshot, place of employment and entire work history attached. “You start to see these people who are absolutely not OK with this focus on Blackness popping up in commentary, with their name and their company fully on display, giving zero deference to the moment,” said John Graham Jr., 39, a digital marketer and strategist at a California biotechnology company. “I find it telling that people would put their careers in jeopardy and their unconscious biases on full display.” LinkedIn has also struggled internally with how to respond to the Black Lives Matter movement. In June, chief executive Ryan Roslansky publicly apologized for “appalling” racial comments some employees had made at a companywide staff meeting. Rosanna Durruthy, LinkedIn’s head of diversity, inclusion and belonging, said in an interview that the company was engaging in hard conversations about race, both inside the company and out. “We’re really beginning to focus very consistently on how we begin to address this externally” on the platform, she said. ‘Break down the status quo’ One of the most vociferous presences on Black LinkedIn is Butler, a human resources consultant and vice president at a startup. She has posted on LinkedIn since 2018 and with increasing frequency and fervor this year. The potential to speak truth to capital, she said, makes the resulting rounds of death threats worth it. “There is something to be said about the access LinkedIn gives you to powerful CEOs and VCs to help change their outlook and how they support Black employees and founders,” said Butler, 29, referring to venture capitalists. “The conversation that has to happen in order to break down the status quo in corporate America isn’t happening on Instagram.” Butler, who has about 40,000 followers, posts on LinkedIn daily. Her style is to be prescriptive, assail corporate norms and call out whitesplainers and trolls; she tends to close each missive with the hashtags #isaidwhatisaid, #thatsthetea and #blackgirlmagic. One recent post scolded companies that make a show of cheering on the Black Lives Matter movement but haven’t done right by their employees. “Do the Black people in your organization feel like they matter, or do they feel like the Black stock photos you used to enhance your ‘wokeness’ footprint in the marketplace. If you can’t make the Black lives under your own roof matter, do not use Black Lives Matter as a brand strategy,” Butler wrote recently. “Don’t talk about it, be about it. Period.” Other stars of Black LinkedIn target specific companies. Joseph, for example, has recently called out Wells Fargo, DoorDash, Microsoft and Google. There has also been no shortage of criticism of LinkedIn itself. Users are holding the company to a standard it set for itself in June, when Melissa Selcher, chief marketing and communications officer, wrote an open letter on the platform. “We have a responsibility to use our platform and resources to intentionally address the systemic barriers to economic opportunity,” she wrote. “We also believe we play a critical role in amplifying Black voices.” Also in June, with Black Lives Matter protests spreading across the country, LinkedIn highlighted “Black Voices to Follow and Amplify,” a curated list of chief executives, media personalities and other influencers, including the Rev. Bernice King and Karamo Brown from the Netflix show “Queer Eye.” For the most part, members of the list post content that is general, motivational and safe. Joseph and others took to LinkedIn to say the group contained too many establishment names and not enough activists. “Where are the Tamika Mallorys of LinkedIn on that list?” Joseph wrote, referring to a co-founder of the 2017 Women’s March. “Black voices aren’t just corporate C-Suite ones,” wrote Patricia S. Gatlin, a talent sourcing specialist in Las Vegas. “All Black voices need to be heard in this moment,” added Scott Taylor, a recruiter in Los Angeles. “Not just the ones your team of analysts think we should hear from.” Leverich, the LinkedIn spokeswoman, said by email: “We use a number of factors in our selection, including members who have self-identified as Black, people from a variety of industries and with an interesting perspective to share. We’re constantly adding new voices and sorting through requests to join this program.” In September, LinkedIn used its own company page to pose a question to its 13 million followers: “What are the best ways to normalize having conversations about race and anti-racism in the workplace? #ConversationsForChange” The responses quickly turned sour. “LinkedIn, you can facilitate that objective by normalizing those conversations on your platform,” wrote Lenzy Ruffin, a communications strategist in Washington, D.C. “The irony that you should post this!” wrote Abi Adamson, a diversity and inclusion consultant in London. “Kindly stop censoring Black content around racism. People like me have had our engagement go down astronomically when highlighting racism or how to be anti-racist. Help amplify our voices and stop silencing us.” Sabrina McClimans, a graduate student in Seattle, asked the platform to “stop ‘accidentally’ disappearing the posts of Black women on your platform when they talk about race and anti-racism.” Phil Molé, who works at a software company in Chicago, added: “I have seen cases in which individuals who harass Black women on this platform have maintained their accounts while those who speak out against racism and prejudice have had accounts suspended. It’s time for a thorough review of the way the issues are handled.” LinkedIn did not respond to those comments. Philip Mix, a consultant in London, added to the thread after a day and a half, when there were 344 comments, saying he had gone through them “three times to make sure I wasn’t mistaken.” By his count, LinkedIn had replied to five users — four times to say “Thank you for sharing” and once with “Nicely put.” Mix concluded: “Not sure if I’m more shocked or depressed by this miserably inadequate show from LinkedIn.”

Black LinkedIn is thriving. Does LinkedIn have a problem with that?

Microsoft Corp`s LinkedIn was sued by a New York-based iPhone user on Friday for allegedly reading and diverting users` sensitive content from Apple Inc`s Universal Clipboard application.

According to Apple`s website, Universal Clipboard allows users to copy text, images, photos, and videos on one Apple device and then paste the content onto another Apple device.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/can-nokias-new-ceo-pekka-lundmark-beat-huawei-ericsson-in-5g-race-312373">Also read:&nbsp;Can Nokia's new CEO Pekka Lundmark beat Huawei, Ericsson in 5G race?</a>

According to the lawsuit filed in San Francisco federal court by Adam Bauer, LinkedIn reads the Clipboard information without notifying the user.

LinkedIn did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.

According to media reports from last week, 53 apps including TikTok and LinkedIn were reported to be reading users` Universal Clipboard content, after Apple`s latest privacy feature started alerting users whenever the clipboard was accessed with a banner saying "pasted from Messages."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/apple-expands-independent-repair-shop-programme-to-europe-canada-311718">Also read:&nbsp;Apple expands independent repair shop programme to Europe, Canada</a>

"These "reads" are interpreted by Apple`s Universal Clipboard as a "paste" command," Bauer`s lawsuit alleged.

A LinkedIn executive had said on Twitter last week that the company released a new version of its app to end this practice.

Developers and testers of Apple`s operating system iOS 14 found that LinkedIn`s application on iPhones and iPads "secretly" read users` clipboard "a lot," according to the complaint.

The lawsuit seeks to certify the complaint as class action based on alleged violation of the law or social norms, under California laws.

According to the complaint, LinkedIn has not only been spying on its users, it has been spying on their nearby computers and other devices, and it has been circumventing Apple`s Universal Clipboard timeout.

Microsoft Corp`s LinkedIn was sued by a New York-based iPhone user on Friday for allegedly reading and diverting users` sensitive content from Apple Inc`s Universal Clipboard application.

Microsoft Corp`s LinkedIn was sued by a New York-based iPhone user on Friday for allegedly reading and diverting users` sensitive content from Apple Inc`s Universal Clipboard application. According to Apple`s website, Universal Clipboard allows users to copy text, images, photos, and videos on one Apple device and then paste the content onto another Apple device. Also read: Can Nokia's new CEO Pekka Lundmark beat Huawei, Ericsson in 5G race? According to the lawsuit filed in San Francisco federal court by Adam Bauer, LinkedIn reads the Clipboard information without notifying the user. LinkedIn did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment. According to media reports from last week, 53 apps including TikTok and LinkedIn were reported to be reading users` Universal Clipboard content, after Apple`s latest privacy feature started alerting users whenever the clipboard was accessed with a banner saying "pasted from Messages." Also read: Apple expands independent repair shop programme to Europe, Canada "These "reads" are interpreted by Apple`s Universal Clipboard as a "paste" command," Bauer`s lawsuit alleged. A LinkedIn executive had said on Twitter last week that the company released a new version of its app to end this practice. Developers and testers of Apple`s operating system iOS 14 found that LinkedIn`s application on iPhones and iPads "secretly" read users` clipboard "a lot," according to the complaint. The lawsuit seeks to certify the complaint as class action based on alleged violation of the law or social norms, under California laws. According to the complaint, LinkedIn has not only been spying on its users, it has been spying on their nearby computers and other devices, and it has been circumventing Apple`s Universal Clipboard timeout.

LinkedIn sued over allegation it secretly reads Apple users' clipboard content

Lawsuit filed against LinkedIn over allegation it secretly reads Apple users' clipboard content

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