LinkedIn introduces voluntary ID verification feature for Indian users

Verification in India will be carried out by a third-party company and will ensure privacy

LinkedIn, the professional networking platform, said on Wednesday it will provide free ID verification for all users in India.

The verification will be carried out by HyperVerge, a third-party company that leverages DigiLocker, a digital wallet for government IDs including Aadhaar.

LinkedIn, which has more than 100 million users in India, said in a blog post the voluntary verification will help in building trust within the professional community.

“Having an ID verification means that the individual’s government-issued ID is verified by one of LinkedIn’s verification partners. This verification is available for those with a valid Aadhaar number and an India phone number, and will be shown on your LinkedIn profile.

We believe verification should be for everyone on LinkedIn, that’s why this feature will be available and free to all our eligible members in India. On LinkedIn, when you show that you're the real you, you'll have an even greater chance of finding the professional opportunities that matter to you and your community,” said Ashutosh Gupta, country manager, LinkedIn India, in the blog post.

LinkedIn said it will not have access to any sensitive data from members' Aadhaar ID. LinkedIn only receives a user’s name, city (state and country), and year of birth. That information is not visible to others and LinkedIn may use it for security purposes. LinkedIn will also not have access to documents in members' Digilocker accounts.

If a user doesn’t have Aadhaar, they can still verify their identity on LinkedIn using different methods. One can choose to verify through work email, or workplace credentials. If you are starting the search for a new job, verified information about a job poster or their company can help you to confidently connect with them and explore authentic opportunities, said the post.

The feature is currently available to select companies globally and will gradually be rolled out for wider use in India.