“Unlocking Opportunities: LinkedIn Introduces Free Identity and Employment Verification”

LinkedIn announced on Wednesday that it is introducing new methods for users to verify their identity and place of work, in contrast to Twitter and Meta, without the need for paid subscriptions or blue checkmarks.

In partnership with CLEAR, a secure identity platform, LinkedIn is offering identity verification for users in the United States. Starting this month, users can add a verification badge on their profile indicating that their identity has been verified with CLEAR. To do so, users need to provide their government-issued ID and phone number.

Once the identity is verified, a new “Verifications” section will be displayed on the profile, located under the “Connect” and “Message” buttons. Visitors to the profile will see a checkmark next to a “Government ID” banner, indicating that the user has a verified government ID.

In addition to identity verification, LinkedIn users worldwide also have the option to verify their place of employment using their company email. To confirm their workplace, users need to enter a verification code sent to their company email address. LinkedIn mentioned that this feature is currently available for over 4,000 companies on the platform, with plans to expand it to more companies in the future.

LinkedIn has partnered with Microsoft to introduce a new option for organizations to issue free digital workplace IDs through the Microsoft Entra Verified ID platform for eligible users. This feature is set to roll out at the end of the month and will be made available to dozens of participating companies, reaching over two million LinkedIn members.

In a recent blog post, LinkedIn stated, “Through all these new, free features, we’re helping give you the confidence that who you’re connecting with and the content you come across is trusted and authentic.” Although not all LinkedIn members will have immediate access to these verification options, the company plans to expand availability and participation options over time, with updates on additional features to come.

This new verification option comes in addition to LinkedIn’s previously introduced verification options for phone numbers and email addresses last fall. Notably, unlike the new options announced, which include verification badges prominently displayed on user profiles, the previous verification options do not include such badges.

Unlike Twitter and Meta, which offer verification as part of bundled subscription packages, LinkedIn has chosen to keep its verification features focused on confirming users’ identities to provide an additional layer of protection against fake or scam accounts.

Twitter’s paid verification option is bundled with its Blue subscription, which costs $8 per month and offers other perks such as fewer ads. Meta’s verification option, called Meta Verified, is available on Instagram and Facebook and costs $11.99 per month on the web and $14.99 per month on mobile.

LinkedIn believes that verification should be accessible to everyone, which is why its verification features will be offered for free.