According to published reports, LinkedIn, the professional networking social website, announced that it has banned prostitutes from using the service to advertise their services.

The online resume service has always prohibited “unlawful” profiles that advertise illegal services, but prostitution is not illegal everywhere in the world, not even everywhere in the United States so sex workers have been using the service to promote their trade.

LinkedIn add a new privacy policy under a sectional called “Don’t undertake the following. “The new user agreement stipulates that users must not "create profiles or provide content that promotes escort services or prostitution … Even if it is legal where you are located.” Users had been able to select "prostitution" as a tagged skill on the site and escorts advertise their services there. Even if users don’t list prostitution as a career skill, they can advertise nude massage, independent escort and companionship services on LinkedIn.

Hani Durzy, LinkedIn’s director of corporate communications, said “I’m not saying we’re going to do a purge, though we very well may. In a nutshell, as we become aware of profiles that violate our policies we will take the appropriate actions. Does that mean shutting them down on day one? Or giving our members the benefit of the doubt, and telling them that’s a violation and you’ve got to change it? There is no hard and fast rule.”

Legal sex workers who have been dropped from the updated service rules are criticizing LinkedIn for taking on the role of an online moral arbiter.

Dennis Hof, who owns legal brothels, including the Moonlite Bunny Ranch in Nevada, said he hopes LinkedIn doesn’t remove his employees’ profiles because they rely on social media to bring in customers. He told media outlets, ““What’s the problem? We have a license to do this stuff. Our business is legal as theirs. We’re the good guys. We have no reason to be knocked off. LinkedIn needs to realize they don’t need to filter out legal businesses in America. These are businesswomen, and some of them are making mid-six-figure incomes. If it’s okay to do that, is it okay to drop Dairy Queen too because it serves too much fat and calories?”

Many people who list "prostitution" as one of their skills are actually working to combat prostitution and human trafficking.

 by Tony Sokol