LinkedIn requires users to be at least 16 years old, or older if local law requires. Anyone under 16 is prohibited from creating an account, and creating fake accounts for people under 16 violates LinkedIn's terms.
Children under 16 are prohibited from using LinkedIn, but the platform relies on self-attestation rather than age verification, and there is no parental consent mechanism for users aged 13-15 in the US, creating unaddressed child privacy risks.
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Compare across platforms →The 16-year minimum age creates a gap with COPPA's 13-year threshold in the US, but LinkedIn does not verify ages, meaning teens under 16 can register using false information, creating both privacy and safety risks.
1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: GDPR Art. 8 sets the age of digital consent at 16 (with member state flexibility down to 13), making LinkedIn's 16-year threshold compliant for most EU jurisdictions. US COPPA (16 CFR Part 312) applies to children under 13, enforced by the FTC. The UK Age Appropriate Design Code (Children's Code) applies to services likely to be accessed by under-18s. Several US states (e.g., California AADC, Texas, Florida) have enacted children's online safety laws with age verification requirements. Enforcement: Ireland DPC, UK ICO, FTC, State AGs. 2)
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