Key Points
- LinkedIn is amending its acceptable content policy to include potentially-offensive materials that have probative news or historic value.
- The change comes as LinkedIn seeks to expand its role from a professional social network platform into one that caters to a wide variety of news and live event coverage.
- LinkedIn is still prohibiting overly-violent imagery or videos that are intended purely to shock users.
- Follow TheDesk.net on LinkedIn for the latest news from the media and tech industries.
LinkedIn is hoping to court more news-related posts by amending its acceptable content policy to give greater leeway to materials that were previously considered too problematic for the platform.
The Microsoft-owned company on Monday rolled out a refreshed version of its “Professional Community Policy,” which now allows graphic or potentially-disturbing content like violent imagery if the material can be linked to a newsworthy event or one of historical or social importance.
“LinkedIn is a place for safe, trusted, and professional content,” a spokesperson for LinkedIn wrote in a blog post. “There are rare times, however, when content that violates our policies is educational or newsworthy enough that keeping it on the platform is in the public interest.”
The spokesperson said medical procedures or images of war might qualify as material that previously fell outside the scope of acceptable content under the old policy, but is permissible under the amended policy, as long as it has a newsworthy or historical connection.
Other content, including excessively-gruesome material, overly-violent videos and content intended purely to shock other users, remains prohibited.
To determine whether questionable content qualifies as newsworthy, LinkedIn said it will conduct a “careful review” that weighs the potential harm of the content against its public or educational value. Factors include the source of the material, its relevance to major news events and whether it contributes to a broader understanding of issues of public concern. Posts containing such content will be shielded by a warning screen to alert viewers before they engage.
The update arrives as video content becomes increasingly central to LinkedIn’s platform strategy. The company reported that video consumption rose more than 36 percent year-over-year, while video creation doubled during the same period.
According to its latest performance report, uploads have seen double-digit growth over the past three consecutive quarters, which help explain LinkedIn’s evolution from a professional networking tool into a broader hub for industry news, expert commentary and real-time event coverage.
