Journalist Nishtha Gautam Voices Frustration Over Harassment on LinkedIn
Journalist Nishtha Gautam Voices Frustration Over Harassment on LinkedIn
Journalist and author Nishtha Gautam has expressed her deep frustration regarding persistent harassment she has experienced on LinkedIn, despite her professional and personal advantages. Gautam detailed that what began as a seemingly benign connection request quickly escalated into a troubling pattern of inappropriate direct messages. Efforts to disregard the messages were met with further aggravation when the same individual, identified as Tulsi Kumar, began posting unwelcome comments on her Instagram account.
In a LinkedIn post, Gautam highlighted her personal background and the professional transparency of her profile, emphasizing her helplessness despite her privileges. “I’ll be 39 in exactly 10 days. I’m a mother of two daughters—21 and 15. I have all the privileges that you can count—caste, class, religion, skin colour, education everything. My LinkedIn profile is for everyone to see and assess my professional standing,” she wrote. “Yet, I’m utterly helpless and I don’t know anymore when this will stop. The screenshots are self-explanatory.”
Gautam criticized the online behavior of some men and took aim at those who dismiss the issue with the “not all men” argument. “Not all men” tribe, sit down. Unless YOU wake up to such bullshit from random stranger women in your professional account’s inbox routinely, don’t even think of making your case,” she asserted.
She also expressed dissatisfaction with LinkedIn’s existing reporting mechanisms for harassment, stating that current digital safety measures fall short. “Digital safety, my foot! It’s a disgusting world where women can be made to feel like shit even within the safety of their homes by stranger men,” Gautam concluded.
Responses from LinkedIn Users
Gautam’s post has garnered support from her LinkedIn network. One user commented, “Creeps like these, who shamelessly use ‘Tulsi’ in their names need to be deweeded the way they understand. Sorry you had to go through this, but yes, this is a violation of your privacy, and a crime – digital abuse… Report him to be caught & faced with a punishment he deserves.”
Another user added, “Your openness in sharing this experience, while painful, also sheds light on a critical issue that far too many women face in digital spaces. The fact that this behavior persists despite all the social and professional progress we’ve made is maddening, and it’s understandable why you feel so frustrated and violated.”
LinkedIn Responds
In response to the situation, LinkedIn issued a statement reinforcing its commitment to maintaining a professional and harassment-free environment. “People expect their experience on LinkedIn to be professional and free of harassment. Our Professional Community Policies include detailed examples of what kind of content isn’t allowed and are clear that harassment, including unwanted romantic advances, does not belong on LinkedIn. That’s why we invest in technology and our teams of experts to keep LinkedIn a professional place that every member of the global workforce can trust,” LinkedIn stated.
The company also highlighted a new feature designed to enhance user safety. “We’ve also added an optional advanced safety feature that detects harmful messages. When enabled, this feature allows LinkedIn’s automated machine learning models to detect likely harmful content, like sexual harassment, within messages and hide it. These updates make it easier for members to report and our team to act. Learn more about how to turn on the setting here,” LinkedIn said.
Additionally, LinkedIn encouraged users to report inappropriate behavior. “We encourage members to report inappropriate comments or messages on LinkedIn so our team can help protect them and others. Read more about how we’re working every day to keep our community trusted and professional here,” the statement concluded.
