Overview

• LinkedIn removed the sole explicit ban on misgendering and deadnaming from its “Hateful and Derogatory Content” policy on July 28, 2025.
• The edit marked LinkedIn’s first hate speech policy change in over three years and was first flagged by Open Terms Archive.
• LinkedIn says its broader harassment rules still forbid identity-based attacks, including misgendering, but it did not explain why it deleted the specific clause.
• GLAAD condemned the silent revision as an overt anti-LGBTQ+ shift and urged the company to publicly reaffirm protections for transgender users.
• Microsoft, LinkedIn’s owner, confirmed it is reviewing the rationale behind the policy rollback following similar changes at Meta and YouTube this year.