LinkedOUT: A Judge’s Journey Through LinkedIn Limbo

By Thomas V. Manahan, J.A.D. (Ret.), Retired Appellate Division Judge, Former Prosecutor and ADR Practitioner

After decades in the courtroom as a prosecutor, appellate division judge, and now as an ADR and workplace investigation professional, I never expected my most frustrating cross-examination to come from an algorithm. For more than two weeks, I have been locked out of my LinkedIn account, caught in a maze of automated prompts, rotating support staff, and unanswered appeals. What began as a simple account update turned into a lesson in persistence and patience.

After more than two weeks of trying to regain access to my "temporarily" suspended LinkedIn account, I now have a deeper appreciation for Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First?” routine, except in this version, the characters are algorithms, autoresponders, and rotating support staff.

The problem was an old account under my informal first name. That account's existence violated LinkedIn's policy of only one account per person when I opened a business account under my formal name and title. Easy to resolve (I thought). Delete the old account.

LinkedIn: Not so fast! You need to prove that you are the one who wants to recover a long-forgotten password. Verify your identity!

I’ve verified my identity more times than a secret agent.

LinkedIn: Invalid ID.

Then I realized I have no government-issued ID with my informal name. Still, I remained undaunted. I filled out forms that led to other forms, which directed me to help pages that only added to my confusion. The Kafkaesque loop continued.

LinkedIn: Your appeal is under review. You will be contacted within 48 hours. (Aka, the check is in the mail.)

Takeaways

• Automated systems are no substitute for human judgment

• Clear pathways to appeal decisions are essential for platforms

• Hackers and phishers should be held fully accountable

If anyone out there knows the secret handshake, a golden key, or just a functioning email address or phone number with a human on the other end, I am open to your suggestion, even if I must wait 48 hours...

I share this experience as a cautionary tale and as a call for stronger human oversight in digital systems. My work in ADR, workplace investigations, and employment law has shown me how important fair and thorough review processes are, whether in a courtroom, an internal affairs office, or a technology platform. If you have faced similar challenges or know someone who has solved this problem, I welcome your insights through Fava Law.

Until then, I remain LinkedOUT.