Yes, blocking a person is available on LinkedIn. Whenever you feel like cutting off contact with someone for any reason, LinkedIn will make that happen. Blocking the individual can help in privacy protection, maintaining professional boundaries, and preventing unsolicited contact from taking too much of your time. This article takes you through everything you’d like to learn on Can you block people on LinkedIn? —why, how, and what comes next.
Why Block on LinkedIn?
Before understanding, can you block people on LinkedIn? You need to know that individuals block other individuals on LinkedIn for various reasons in every scenario. Two of the most common reasons to block someone are workspace or personal harassment, and privacy.
If the individual is messaging you unwanted, commenting on you inappropriately, or otherwise just online harassing you, then blocking is an inhibitive action that you can take. Blocking does not allow the harasser to see your profile, message you, or even comment on your posts.
The second is privacy. You may not necessarily want certain people—your old employers, competitors in business, or contacts—to know what you are doing with your work life. Preventing them from accessing your updates, contacts, and career growth is something they are unable to do.
Professional boundaries are also required. You’ll need to cut ties with some former colleagues, clients, or business partners from time to time. If a former employer is stalking you or a former business partner is undermining your career growth, blocking may be the answer.
Finally, we have personal matters. Maybe you don’t wish for someone from your personal life to see what you do at work. Maybe it’s an ex, someone you barely know, or someone with whom you’ve had trouble in the past. Blocking does provide that sense of control over your LinkedIn page.
Blocking Someone on LinkedIn
It is easy to block a person on LinkedIn. To block a user, follow these steps:
- Go to Their Profile: Look for the user you want to block using the search field on LinkedIn.
- Click the “More” Button: This is three dots at the top of their profile.
- Select “Report/Block“: You will be presented with a list of different options in a menu.
- Select “Block [Name]”: You will be prompted to confirm your action, and LinkedIn will block the user.
Once you block a user, the user will not be able to view your profile, send you messages, or comment on your posts. The action is immediate and does not need your further approval and is a proven answer to Can you block people on LinkedIn?
What if You’ve Blocked Someone?
It has several implications to blocking a user on LinkedIn, and something that you would want to consider very hard before you end up doing so.
- They will no longer be connected with you: If you were linked, blocking will instantly unlink them from your linked accounts.
- They can’t message you: All the messages you’ve sent and received with them on LinkedIn messaging will also be erased.
- They can’t view your updates, comments, or posts: This prevents them from viewing any of your work activity on the site.
- They will never know you blocked them: LinkedIn will not send a notification to anyone if they have been blocked, so the action is discreet.
Blocking does work, but remember that if the individual who was blocked cached any of the previous conversations or profile information, then they will still be able to view those.
Can You Unblock Someone?
Yes, you can unblock someone on LinkedIn if you have a change of heart. Just know that when you unblock someone, you will have to wait 48 hours before you block them again.
How to unblock someone:
- Navigate to “Settings & Privacy” Click on your profile picture and navigate to the settings option.
- Click “Visibility”: Here is where you manage who sees your profile and activity.
- Choose “Blocking”: You will now have a list of all the members that you’ve blocked.
Search for their name and choose “Unblock” Double-check your choice, and they’ll once again be able to see your page.
Will They Be Able to Know That You Blocked Them?
No, LinkedIn does not give users a notification whether they are blocked or not. However, the user may be aware that they have been blocked if they try to view your profile and are unable to find it. If the user was your friend, they would know that they are no longer friends without a reason why.
Also, when they try to message you and discover that their past messages are being deleted, they can feel as if they are blocked. LinkedIn won’t display the flip in real life, but whoever tries to search your account manually will be provided with an impression that they are limited.
Weaknesses of Blocking
Even though blocking is fine to discourage a person from looking at your profile and getting in touch with you, blocking has a few disadvantages.
- It won’t hinder them from viewing public posts: If your posts or comments are public, even users who are not registered on LinkedIn or any other website can view them.
- They can also see it through mutual contacts: If you and the blocked person have groups or connections, they will be able to see your conversations through intermediaries.
- Historical conversations are saved in group sites: If you ever communicated with someone through LinkedIn pages or groups, historical conversations will be visible to others.
- They can still see your page from another account: If the user has multiple accounts on LinkedIn or creates a new account, they can still see your activity.
If you don’t like these restrictions, tweaking your privacy controls can provide an additional layer of security.
Alternative to Blocking: Privacy Settings
You cannot hide a person but want to exclude them from showing up on your page. LinkedIn offers a series of privacy options.
Change who can see your profile: Select who gets to see your profile information, such as your activity status and connections.
Hide individuals from seeing your connections: In case you prefer others not to see your contacts, set this to “Only Me.”
Limit profile visit options: LinkedIn also offers the option to view in “Private Mode,” which will ensure others do not know you have viewed their profile.
Limit notifications and activity status: You can limit who receives a notification when your job, promotion, or other work activity changes.
These options provide an alternative, less transparent means of controlling your LinkedIn interaction without having to block.
Conclusion
So the answer to Can you block people on LinkedIn? Is yes, you can block someone on LinkedIn. It is a simple and easy, and uncomplicated method of maintaining professional boundaries and having control over who can view your profile and contact you. Blocking is an easy solution if you are being stalked, have privacy issues, or are getting unwanted professional contact.
Before blocking, consider if privacy settings might accomplish the same thing, albeit less extreme. But when blocking is essential, rest assured it is private, immediate, and reversible—if a bit constrained in its time by a 48-hour block on re-blocking.
By claiming your space on LinkedIn, you can make it more secure and simpler to connect. Utilize the tools of LinkedIn in a smart LinkedIn’s smartly to create something fitting for your profession and that fits.
