Professional networking platform LinkedIn has announced that it will introduce a free voluntary ID verification feature for its users in India. This verification process will be available to users who have a valid Aadhaar number, the unique identification number issued by the Indian government, and an Indian phone number.
The ID verification will be carried out by HyperVerge, a third-party identity verification service that utilizes DigiLocker, a digital wallet for government-issued IDs including Aadhaar.
LinkedIn’s decision to implement ID verification in India follows a similar initiative launched in the United States just two months ago, which utilized the services of third-party identity verification provider CLEAR.
Ashutosh Gupta, country manager of LinkedIn India, emphasized the importance of safety, trust, and authenticity on the platform, stating that ID verification would help ensure these qualities. Unlike other social media platforms such as Twitter and Meta (formerly Facebook), which offer paid verification options, LinkedIn’s ID verification feature will be free for eligible members in India.
LinkedIn currently has over 100 million users in India, and the company plans to expand ID verification globally and collaborate with additional verification partners in the future.
During the verification process, users will be required to sign up for a DigiLocker account. If users already have an account, they can proceed with verification using their DigiLocker 6-digit security PIN. The names on the user’s ID and LinkedIn profile must match for successful verification.
Once the verification process is completed, a visible verification badge will be displayed on the user’s profile to indicate that their government-issued ID has been verified. However, specific details such as email addresses and information on ID cards will remain private and not be visible to other users.
Twitter and Meta have recently introduced premium subscription services in India, namely Twitter Blue and Meta verified. These services come with a monthly cost of INR 900 and INR 1,450 for Twitter Blue and Meta verified, respectively, on mobile devices.
