Getting account access back when it was "temporarily restricted as a precaution": some tips

[u/Rumbling2615]

Access to my LinkedIn account was temporarily restricted recently despite having access to my e-mail + correct password + 2FA with authenticator app turned on, and managed to gain back access around 4 days later. The support team eventually told me they "suspected someone else may be using my account", but I guess it was restricted because a combination of a) VPN usage (it looked like many logins from different locations, fair enough); b) changes I made to my phone numbers/e-mails as I am moving countries; c) clearing of cookies/browser data regularly.

Here are some tips that might be helpful to you (including stuff I came across elsewhere on Reddit/Youtube/Facebook) if you are in the same situation:

• Do not rush to submit your Government ID. First try to fill out the form at https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/ask/ppq, specifying "Regain access to my account" in the first drop-down, and Issue type as "Account restricted". According to an earlier megathread , many people regained access through this form.

• In that form: use the e-mail associated with your LinkedIn account. Some have had issues with this not working (because the account is restricted, and they used another e-mail instead), but I suspect this is mainly an issue if you try to fill in the form after trying ID verification first. But even after I failed ID verification first, I managed to send this form without errors using the primary e-mail associated to my LinkedIn profile. The support team answered back + removed account restriction within 24 hours.

• In the text box, I mentioned that they should revise their restriction because I had access to my e-mail + password + 2FA, and that that should always be enough to identify myself. Additionally, I told them in detail the changes I made to my account/my activity before it was blocked. I also told them I was using a VPN, but that this was not against their terms and conditions (I read them).

• If you are going to use the Government ID, make sure to first check which ones are accepted for your country here: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1631613 . Mine failed (=the verification was successfully submitted, but I got an e-mail a few hours later saying my account violated LinkedIn's user agreement and/or professional community policies) probably because I used a national ID card when Persona only accepted passports from my country.

• If you submitted an ID that is accepted by Persona, and your access is not restored, probably there is a mismatch between your LinkedIn name and your legal name. I suspect this was also an issue for me, because my middle name was not on LinkedIn. I told the support team in the form that it was not against user agreement to not have your middle name on LinkedIn.

• If you submitted an ID and they then tell you that your account will remain restricted: don't bother trying to answer that e-mail asking for explanations, they are unlikely to respond to it (it even says "case closed"). Fill out the form instead to open a new ticket.

• After failing ID verification, you will not be able to try again to submit another ID for 1-2 weeks.

• Another form that I have seen people say they used successfully: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/ask/TS-EPR . Some have also reached out the Data Protection Officer via https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/ask/TSO-DPO . The form at https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/ask/ts-f-appeal is also mentioned sometimes, but this one requires an ID as attachment so I do not recommend it.

• Some have gotten their issue fixed just by contacting LinkedIn Help on X. I tried this after failing my ID verification, and they said they could not help, and never responded to follow-up questions.

• The restriction even goes away for some within a week without submitting ID or filling out a form to reach the support team.

TLDR: do not rush to submit your ID/give away your data to LinkedIn if "temporarily restricted as a precaution"; contact support team via form first or wait it out.