Linkedin account restricted permanently: what happened and the lessons I learned

On Wednesday, July 2, 2025, my life on social media took a turn. I suddenly discovered that I had been logged out of LinkedIn on all my devices “as a precaution.” My LinkedIn profile was no longer accessible. At this stage, LinkedIn asked me to verify my identity in order to regain access. Since I refused the Persona verification, I clicked on “other method” and was informed that a customer service representative would get back to me within 48 hours.
Not wanting to wait 48 hours, I took the initiative and submitted a request myself to speed up the process. Access to customer service is only possible if you’re logged in. A bit absurd. Luckily, I discovered that another contact form exists, giving me hope for a quick resolution. So, I contacted them and quickly received the following response.

First response from LinkedIn customer service after my account was restricted “as a precaution.”

After a brief acknowledgment, two short messages followed explaining that I had severely violated LinkedIn’s rules and that my account was permanently restricted. In other words, I was permanently banned from LinkedIn.

In the final message, I was clearly reminded that I was not allowed to create a new LinkedIn account.

Twenty years of content and more than 15,000 followers disappeared in an instant. Fortunately, the story doesn’t end there.

Why was I banned from LinkedIn?

To disappoint you a bit, I still don’t know why I was suddenly banned from LinkedIn. LinkedIn won’t tell you, even if you insist. However, I have a few hypotheses.

• Hypothesis 1: my research on the algorithm. For several years, I’ve been conducting research on how LinkedIn’s algorithm works. This program led me to analyze nearly 5 million posts and 1 million members. This is, to date, the largest study on the subject. Could LinkedIn be holding a grudge?
• Hypothesis 2: a post that upset some people. The most likely hypothesis (based on timing) is that a post upset some users and was reported. My ban coincides with a post in which I discussed the mindset of some interns. Some of the comments were a bit “heated” 🔥. Could the disrespectful comments exchanged have triggered an algorithm and marked me as undesirable?

Banned from LinkedIn: the consequences

Restricted account: losing your company page

It’s only when your LinkedIn account is permanently restricted that you realize how important LinkedIn is in your life. For me, it was a professional tool I used solely to position myself as an expert in marketing and data.
But my LinkedIn profile also managed my company’s LinkedIn page with nearly 4,000 followers. The first consequence of the permanent restriction: I could no longer administer my company page.

Practical tip #1: always have at least two super-admins on your company page. Give a third access to a family member to ensure you can always regain control.

Do you really know your LinkedIn network?

The second realization was about my network. At the time of the restriction, I had just over 15,000 followers and connections. But who were they really? How many did I actually engage with? I realized I knew nothing about my network and hadn’t exported my connections since 2020.

Practical tip #2: export your LinkedIn data monthly. If your account is ever restricted, you’ll at least have a backup you can use outside LinkedIn.

LinkedIn allows you to download all your data. Do it regularly so you’re not trapped if access is suddenly revoked.

What is LinkedIn really for?

The third realization was about LinkedIn’s role. When your account is permanently restricted, you start questioning its importance in your business growth. For me, its role was minor since I never tried to promote my company. I only posted personal content. However, LinkedIn still gave me a digital presence. Losing it overnight made me question everything.
It was at that moment that I realized my dependence on LinkedIn and the vital need to own my network. I had advocated for data sovereignty for years but failed to apply it to myself.

Tip #3: don’t let LinkedIn become your CRM. In other words, build and maintain your own contact database. You shouldn’t depend on LinkedIn.

End of the story: how I regained access to LinkedIn

48 hours after being permanently banned, I received a LinkedIn notification 🤔. This was supposedly impossible since my account no longer existed. I had even uninstalled the app from my phone. A click on the notification led me to the login page and… to my inbox. Access had been restored, yet I received no email from customer service. To this day, I still don’t know whether my access was reinstated intentionally or if it was a “glitch in the matrix.”