When Identity Verification Silences a Voice: My Experience with LinkedIn
After years of active and constructive presence on various platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Google, WordPress, and Medium — where I’ve consistently promoted human rights, freedom, and democracy for Iran — I was unexpectedly banned from LinkedIn.
As an Iranian human rights advocate fighting against a brutal and repressive dictatorship, I have used social media not for personal gain, but as a vital channel to connect with academics, journalists, and civil society members globally. My LinkedIn account, which had thousands of followers and a significant amount of engagement, was part of that effort. It allowed me to share ideas, support campaigns, and connect with like-minded professionals.
Unfortunately, LinkedIn permanently restricted my account and required a government-issued ID for reinstatement. Given the political risks and surveillance that Iranian activists face, providing such an ID is not only impossible but potentially dangerous.
Despite this, I cooperated fully. I contacted LinkedIn Support through all official channels. I explained the situation repeatedly. I verified my email. I even offered to update my profile name from “Freedom Star” to my real name, Masoud, to comply with LinkedIn’s User Agreement. Yet none of this was enough. They insisted on documentation that I could not safely provide.
They finally responded:
“Unfortunately, due to the lack of legitimate identification, we are unable to fulfill your request. Your appeal has been denied.”
No exceptions. No consideration for activists at risk. Just a closed case.
None of the other major platforms I use — Twitter (X), Facebook, Google, Medium — has ever demanded state-issued documents. They understand that the right to voice concerns and participate in public discourse should not be conditional on paperwork that not everyone can produce, especially in authoritarian states.
This experience is a painful reminder that rigid identity verification, when applied without context or humanity, can become a tool of exclusion — silencing the very voices that need global platforms the most.
I hope LinkedIn reflects on the impact of such policies on people like me. And I hope this post resonates with others facing similar constraints. We must keep pushing for policies that understand the world beyond borders and bureaucracy.
