First published: July 11, 2011. Last updated: November 11, 2022.
By default, when you connect with someone on LinkedIn, all of your connections become visible to them. This should set off alarm bells for most people. (Side note: If you haven’t watched The Social Dilemma on Netflix, please add that to your to do list.) Think about it: You connect with your best employees, key customers, top prospects, and most important partners. And sometimes you connect with people who would use this information against you: Recruiters, former employees, and competitors.
Even if someone is not in this latter category today, will that be true tomorrow?
I recommend turning off connection visibility. It will not in any way impede the valuable “People Search” or other search modes of LinkedIn. Here’s how to do it:
1) When signed into your account, click on your picture in the upper right area and a drop-down menu will appear. From that menu, click on “Settings & Privacy.” You may be prompted to sign into your account again.
2) Next, on the left click “Visibility”, and then on the right click “Connections” as shown below:
3) With that selected, toggle the the Connection visibility slider (far right) to “Off”.
Let me know how this works for you. Or … if you believe in leaving connections visible, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the topic. There’s certainly room for debate.
Dave, you have a valid point. But I leave mine visible. I think blocking your connections makes you less valuable as a LinkedIn connection. Since it’s not available to the general public, but only the people you connect to, I would rate it a risk worth taking.
I have also made re-connections this way. By browsing someone’s connections and seeing someone I knew “way-back-when.” It gives you another way to connect with old friends and colleagues.
If someone tried to connect that way to someone they don’t really know, the person would “Ignore” them. So, it’s not worth abusing to either side.
Frank,
Thanks for your reply to Dave’s post. I’ve been going back and forth on this question since attending a presentation by Dave. I tend to agree with you.
Sorry Dave!
No worries. There’s room for multiple viewpoints of on this issue. As long as you make an explicit choice (as opposed to going with the LinkedIn default without considering the implications), I’m fine with that.
Dave –
Clearly valid points – these are issues ALL ” Social/Business ” media faces – with ” communitty ” comes visibility. I think people need to be smart on this. I as an executive reruiter – follow your lead ( for what that’s worth ) and have my conection visible only to those in my NW. Thanks for the thoughts !
On a related note, how do you feel about connecting (on LinkedIn) with those whose connection may benefit you, but who, conversely, may benefit from your connections. As a lawyer, there are acquaintances in Pittsburgh whose connections I might “mine,” but they might do the same. What are your thoughts?
Bob – LinkedIn is about “helping each other” via our respective connections. So if you benefit from their connections, you should reciprocate (and even “pay it forward” as the movie says). On the other hand, if your mining of their connections harms them (for example by using the practice to steal their employees or customers), or vice versa, then you probably should not have a first-degree connection to that person.
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Dave,
I think recruiters link up with you for no other reason then using your contacts.
I.E. to get to know what contractors you have worked with.
Your linkedin then gives the impression you are looking for a job even though you are not (or are).
Neil