Johns Hopkins Professor of Surgery Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H. said that LinkedIn removed a research letter he co-authored because the scientific research allegedly violated its “Professional Community Policies.” He later tweeted that Linkedin reinstated it “after a friend compl[ained] to the CEO.”
Makary posted a link to a research letter published by the Journal of the American Medical Association Network on LinkedIn, according to screenshots he tweeted. The letter outlined a study Makary conducted that reviewed the “Prevalence and Durability of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Among Unvaccinated US Adults.” Makary’s screenshots show that LinkedIn purportedly “removed [the letter] because it goes against [LinkedIn’s] Professional Community Policies.”
LinkedIn’s Professional Community Policies forbid users from sharing “false or misleading content.” It also bars all users, including scientists and medical professionals, from sharing “content that directly contradicts guidance from leading global health organizations and public health authorities.”
It is unclear how Makary’s study broke LinkedIn’s policy. The study reportedly found antibodies in over 50 percent of people who either tested positive for COVID-19 or who “believed they had COVID-19 but were never tested.” The study, however, acknowledged its limitations and that “these findings merit further consideration.”
LinkedIn has a history of censoring scientists and doctors and justifying the censorship under its Professional Community Policy. The following three examples illustrate the platform’s disturbing pattern.
- British Cardiologist Dr. Aseem Malhotra interview: Dr. Malhotra posted a video of an interview he did with former Leading Britain's Conversation presenter Maajid Nawaz. Malhotra claimed in the interview that "there’s no significant reduction in transmission from taking the vaccine.” LinkedIn removed the video under its Professional Community Policy according to a purported screenshot posted by Nawaz.
- Harvard Epidemiologist Martin Kulldorff interview: The Brownstone Institute reported that LinkedIn removed an Epoch TV interview with one of its senior scholars, Harvard Medical School Professor of Medicine Martin Kulldorff, PhD. The post included a thumbnail image of Kulldorff alongside a blown-up text reading, "Dangers of Vaccine Mandates." the Brownstone Institute’s purported screenshot showed that LinkedIn removed the video also under its Professional Community Policy.
- mRNA vaccine technology innovator Dr. Robert Malone restricted and banned: Last July, Dr. Malone tweeted a link to an email that was purportedly sent to him by LinkedIn Customer Support showing that the platform restricted his account for his posts on the COVID-19 vaccines. On Jan. 6, LinkedIn banned Malone from the platform without explanation, according to Malone’s Substack newsletter.
LinkedIn is not unique for its censorship of medical experts. MRC CensorTrack’s most recent study found 808 examples of censorship related to COVID-19. The total included 32 medical experts and nine scientific/medical groups.
LinkedIn did not respond to MRC Free Speech America’s request for comment at the time of publishing.
Conservatives are under attack. Contact LinkedIn at linkedin_support@cs.linkedin.com and demand the platform be held to account to mirror the First Amendment. If you have been censored, contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
