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‘It’s a disgusting world’: Delhi author sexually harassed on LinkedIn, gets derogatory messages from man
An entrepreneur and author shared how she started receiving degrading remarks from a man after accepting his connection on LinkedIn.
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A post by a Delhi author has sparked anger among people. She shared how she started getting unsolicited messages, which later turned derogatory, after accepting a connection on LinkedIn, a social media platform dedicated to professional networking. The mother-of-two expressed how getting the messages made her feel unsafe, adding how disgusting it is that women are facing such situations "within the safety of their homes by stranger men."
“This sexual harassment started, predictably, in an innocuous manner. With a LinkedIn connection request and my polite response to a ‘Thank you for adding me’ message. And then came a barrage of unsolicited DMs on LinkedIn ostensibly for professional work. I ignored it all,” the author wrote on LinkedIn.
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“And this morning I woke up to the same old sexually charged bulls**t. This man… also found my Instagram earlier yesterday and left likes and comments there,” she added. She concluded her post with a series of screenshots that show the man’s suggestive messages.
What did social media users say about this post?
“Sorry this happened to you. In a professional network like Linkedin, there should be an easy way to report harassment, but I think reporting anything here is harassment in itself!” an IIT alum and data scientist, Vipin R, wrote.
Founder Sushobhan Chowdhury commented, “I completely understand the frustration caused by such behaviour—it is truly unacceptable. This needs no justification whatsoever; it's as low as one can go. It's important not to let such behaviour go unpunished. Set a strong example so that no one dares to repeat this. Such actions deserve immediate consequences, including legal ones. The company he has listed as his employer is based out of Bangalore, and I noticed they have listed their phone number. That's probably the first step to trace/track him. Lodge a formal complaint right away; I am sure you are doing everything, but don't let him get away.”
Also Read: 19-year-old claims she was ‘physically harassed’, shares video: ‘I am extremely disappointed and disgusted’
“I am so sorry you have had to go through this. Also well done for speaking out. It's shameful behaviour and utterly pointless. I mean what do they even expect? I hope he can learn his lesson and you can heal,” artist Richard Fraser posted.
LinkedIn's response
The professional networking site reached out to HT.com in an email with the below statement.
“People expect their experience on LinkedIn to be professional and free of harassment. Our Professional Community Policies include detailed examples of what kind of content isn’t allowed and are clear that harassment, including unwanted romantic advances, does not belong on LinkedIn. That’s why we invest in technology and our teams of experts to keep LinkedIn a professional place that every member of the global workforce can trust," the company wrote.
“We’ve also added an optional advanced safety feature that detects harmful messages. When enabled, this feature allows LinkedIn’s automated machine learning models to detect likely harmful content, like sexual harassment, within messages and hide it. These updates make it easier for members to report and our team to act. Learn more about how to turn on the setting here,” the company added.
“We encourage members to report inappropriate comments or messages on LinkedIn, so our team can help protect them and others. Read more about how we’re working everyday to keep our community trusted and professional here,” LinkedIn further added.
