Professional networking platform LinkedIn is facing increasing demands to terminate the account of Sam Wall, a 55-year-old digital marketing strategist from Cheadle, who has been sentenced to 28 months in prison. Wall pleaded guilty to charges of stalking, harassment, and malicious communication. Despite her conviction and the issuance of a restraining order by the court, Wall’s LinkedIn Premium profile, boasting nearly 27,000 followers, remained active as of the time of reporting.
Wall’s victims, motivational speaker Brad Burton and tech entrepreneur Naomi Timperley, have publicly criticised LinkedIn for its failure to enforce its user protection policies, even post-conviction. The two victims were present at Preston Crown Court during the sentencing, where Judge Usher condemned Wall, stating that her name had become synonymous with online stalking.
Following the hearing, Burton, a renowned business coach and author with a substantial online following, expressed his disappointment with LinkedIn’s management via a post on the platform. He warned that the situation could have had tragic consequences and urged the platform to take action before such a scenario became a reality.
Despite Burton’s public appeal, both Wall’s LinkedIn and private Instagram accounts remained active throughout the weekend, sparking an uproar from users of the professional networking site. Numerous users have echoed Burton’s call for LinkedIn to delete Wall’s account, criticising the platform’s apparent unwillingness to enforce its own anti-harassment policies.
Megan Codling, a PR and marketing consultant, questioned LinkedIn’s inaction in a comment, while Caroline England, tech entrepreneur and founder of Featherbed Tales, criticised LinkedIn’s failure to remove Wall’s account despite multiple requests and a legal conviction. Video producer Julian Wellings expressed disbelief at the platform’s lack of response.
Several LinkedIn users described the situation as ‘disgraceful’ and demanded immediate action from LinkedIn and its parent company, Microsoft. Corporate photographer Arwyn Bailey urged the platform to step up its efforts against bullying and harassment, citing the devastating effects on Wall’s victims and their families.
Burton reported additional incidents of harassment on LinkedIn, alleging that another user, Jackie Robinson, continued Wall’s campaign less than a day after her sentencing. In a detailed post shared on Monday, Burton stated that he has submitted evidence to Lancashire Police and LinkedIn’s safety team and informed his legal representatives and local MP Gideon Amos OBE.
Burton also shared several posts and videos documenting the ongoing stalking behaviour under the hashtag #Gangstalking. He expressed frustration over having to continue to combat the harassment instead of focusing on recovery, suggesting that the case revealed an inherent bias in the platform.
This case has stirred up concerns over LinkedIn’s content moderation policies and its handling of harassment cases, given that the platform is often seen as the most ‘professional’ of social networks. While other social media platforms like Meta, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok have faced scrutiny for their handling of abuse and misinformation, LinkedIn has largely dodged similar controversy—until now.
At the time of writing, LinkedIn has not yet made a public statement or response to the growing criticism. The mounting pressure on the platform to act decisively in the Wall case could be a pivotal moment for LinkedIn’s reputation and its handling of user safety and harassment issues.
The case underscores the increasing need for social media platforms to balance user freedom with robust moderation policies, particularly in the wake of widespread concerns over online harassment and misinformation. It also highlights the importance of proactive action by platforms to protect users from harmful behaviour.
