The change comes as social media platforms are updating policies in the wake of Donald Trump’s anti-DEI stance…
In recent months, several social media platforms have been revising policies regarding hate speech. These moves have allowed harmful and threatening content to be present online that target BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people. Now, professional networking platform LinkedIn has made a similar move directly impacting these communities.
What changes did LinkedIn make?
As first reported by nonprofit organization Open Terms Archive, LinkedIn changed its “Hateful and Derogatory Content” policy in late July. The newly updated terms, removes language regarding misgendering and deadnaming. Its previous policy explicitly listed the two as hate speech examples not allowed on the platform.
The new policy, which was quietly updated, now reads: “Hate speech, symbols, and groups are prohibited on LinkedIn. We remove content that attacks, denigrates, intimidates, dehumanizes, incites or threatens hatred, violence, prejudicial or discriminatory action against individuals or groups because of their actual or perceived race, ethnicity, national origin, caste, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, or disability status.”
The company also revised its “Harassment and Abusive Content” policy. In the previous iteration, it prohibited content negatively targeting people on “the basis of inherent traits” which included the examples of race and gender identity. The policy now vaguely reads “inherent traits” with no examples, leaving it up to interpretation.
GLAAD condemned the changes in a statement calling the organization cowardly. “Yet another social media company [is] choosing to adopt cowardly business practices to try to appease anti-LGBTQ political ideologies at the expense of user safety,” GLAAD said. “If LinkedIn believes that transgender and nonbinary people should be protected from hate and harassment, they should clearly state this without resorting to confusing doublespeak.”
What is LinkedIn saying about the change?
When asked by Engadget about the changes, the company told the outlet it regularly updates its policies. It highlighted that ‘gender identity’ is still a protected characteristic, adding the policy is still the same, even with the exclusions.
“Personal attacks or intimidation toward anyone based on their identity, including misgendering, violates our harassment policy and is not allowed on our platform,” read a statement from LinkedIn provided to the outlet. No further reasoning was given for the removal.
LinkedIn’s update is part of a larger trend online
Revisions to hate speech policies by social media companies have been happening since Donald Trump took office.
In GLAAD’s 2025 Social Media Safety Index, the organization raised alarms on what was happening online. The annual index looks LGBTQ+ safety, privacy and expression on social media platforms and grades the big six platforms. This year, the grades were described by the organization as “critically low.” LinkedIn was not included in the audit.
GLAAD called out YouTube’s removal of gender identity as “a protected characteristic” and mentioned Meta’s acceptance of statements describing LGBTQ+ people as “abnormal” and “mentally ill.” Other callouts included how platforms suppress LGBTQ+ content.
The organization provided key recommendations for improvement including strengthening and enforcing (or restoring) existing policies protecting LGBTQ+ people from hate.
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