LinkedIn has banned escorts and prostitutes from its massive social network of working professionals. While the company has always encouraged users from all walks of life to join its ranks, the network apparently doesn’t want “working” girls to take part.
Since the early days of LinkedIn, the company has maintained a clause that calls for “no unlawful activity” via its network. However, in some countries where LinkedIn operates, there are no laws against prostitution. Essentially, the network had no recourse since those working girls were working legally.
On Monday, however, the network updated its user agreement to state that users can not take part in the following:
“Upload, post, email, InMail, transmit or otherwise make available or initiate any content that: Even if it is legal where you are located, create profiles or provide content that promotes escort services or prostitution.”
Social News Daily quotes a rep from LinkedIn who states:
“In the old [user agreement], we had it covered by saying that one could not use a profile to promote anything ‘unlawful. However, in some countries, that activity actually is lawful.”
Social networks from Reddit and Facebook to Twitter and Craigslist have all fallen prey to some form of prostitution advertising. Craigslist in 2012 deleted the “adult” section from its website, and those listings were quickly picked up by Backpage.com.
In the meantime, we are almost certain that most escorts and prostitutes weren’t hoping to jump on LinkedIn and receive a bunch of endorsements from former clients, let alone recommendations and job offers.
Do you think LinkedIn made the right decision in banning prostitutes and escorts from its social enterprise network?
