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LinkedIn shuts down online tricks

Bans anti-sex trafficking site

The long arm of the LinkedIn law has shut down and indefinitely banned a Singaporean anti-sex trafficking profile, claiming it violated user agreement terms.

The offending profile was part of a campaign branded ‘TrickedIn.’Created by interns at advertising company BBH Asia Pacific, the profile's aim twas to help the not-for-profit organisation Singapore’s Humanitarian Organisation for Migration and Economics (HOME) to raise awareness of sex trafficking by posting false job advertisements.

The fictional profile of Kim Diya- with the employment tagline 'trafficked sex worker'- is based on true stories of victims’ experiences.

When the profile went live last week it had made 150 connections within hours but was shut down within a day.

LinkedIn defended the move claiming that the information shared on the page violated user agreement terms of LinkedIn, specifically user authenticity.

BBH Asia Pacific made public overtures to LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman to reinstate the campaign due to the worthiness of the cause.

The social recruitment giant responded to the agency stating, "LinkedIn was built to help professionals become more productive and successful within a network of trusted relationships. To achieve this purpose, we require our members to share accurate information on their profile.”

Let's hope LinkedIn administrators never have enough time to apply such rigorous scrutiny of authenticity to all of its members' employment histories.

The campaign remains active as a blog with links to Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. ®

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