LinkedIn Is Quietly Cutting Connections: Here’s What Was Discovered

Building and maintaining professional connections sits at the very heart of LinkedIn’s value proposition. These connections represent career opportunities, collaborations, mentorships, and long-term professional relationships. But what happens when those carefully cultivated connections start disappearing without warning?

LadyBugz’ digital marketing team recently uncovered a surprising and concerning pattern that every LinkedIn user should know.

The Disappearing Connection Phenomenon

Over several months, our team noticed that each time new connections were made on LinkedIn, the overall follower and connection count dropped shortly afterward, often by a similar number. During periods without new connection activity, these numbers remained stable.

At first, it seemed coincidental. Perhaps people were unfollowing. Maybe accounts were closing. Or perhaps this was part of LinkedIn’s disconnection process for inactive, hibernated, or restricted accounts.

But this wasn’t it; the pattern was too consistent, too precise. Something else was happening behind the scenes.

So, our team decided to test it systematically. They sent batches of invites. Tracked the results. Observed what happened next.

And sure enough, new connections in, old ones quietly gone.

The Hidden System Behind LinkedIn’s Connection Management

This consistent link between growth activity and connection losses raised serious questions. Were these removals a technical glitch? Or something more intentional?

Digging deeper revealed this wasn’t simply a matter of accounts being closed or deleted. Something more subtle and systemic was happening.

To understand it fully, it’s important to distinguish what exactly was being removed, how, and why.

What LinkedIn Revealed

When directly questioned, LinkedIn confirmed something that many professionals may not realise:

Removals are triggered based on an internal evaluation of “engagement levels,” even if the accounts are otherwise active and present on LinkedIn.

This creates an important distinction between two very different issues:

• Inactive accounts: users who have closed, restricted, or hibernated their LinkedIn accounts
• Inactive connections: active users who may not engage frequently with your content but who remain valid, valuable professional connections

According to LinkedIn, an “inactive connection” typically refers to connections with whom there has been little to no interaction over an extended period. This includes connections that no longer engage with posts, updates, messages, or overall profile activities. LinkedIn explained that specific connections are removed from networks as part of their “optimisation process” to ensure meaningful and active networks for users.

These removals are not random but are based on interaction history and engagement levels between connections.

Perhaps most tellingly, LinkedIn revealed that these removals might coincide with gaining new connections because LinkedIn could be using this opportunity to “refresh” networks. When new connections are added, LinkedIn may reassess overall networks to maintain what it considers relevant and active levels.

When Algorithms Override Professional Judgment

LinkedIn’s explanation reveals that connections aren’t being removed because accounts are closed, but because LinkedIn’s algorithm classifies some active users as “inactive connections” simply because they don’t frequently engage with specific content.

This raises a deeper concern: since engagement across LinkedIn is generally low, what engagement thresholds are used, and are they appropriate for professional networking?

By quietly removing connections based on limited interaction, LinkedIn’s system risks misclassifying valuable, quiet connections as irrelevant. Worse still, because removals happen repeatedly every time new connections are added, this systematic pruning creates a self-suppressing cycle, effectively limiting organic network growth and undermining user control over hard-earned professional relationships.

Removal Without Consent or Transparency

The most concerning aspect, and what LinkedIn confirmed, is that active users are being removed from networks without the account holder’s knowledge, based on engagement algorithms rather than the user’s choices. LinkedIn decides which connections are “most relevant,” not the users themselves!

In any professional network, not every connection is highly interactive daily. However, quiet, infrequent, or less-engaged contacts can hold significant strategic, collaborative, or career value over time. When these connections are removed automatically, without transparency or visibility, users lose the ability to make their own decisions about which relationships to preserve.

Do Users Have Any Control?

When asked if users have any say or control over this process, LinkedIn’s response was surprisingly direct: there is no option for users to opt out of this automated connection removal process, and users are not notified when active connections are removed from their network.

Unfortunately, there still isn’t a direct option for users to opt out of this automated process or to receive notifications before removals take place.

Even more concerning, there is no feature to review or reconnect with individuals who are removed:

So, connections are being removed without notification, user control, and no way to see who was removed or reconnect!

Why This Matters for Every Professional Network Builder

This system can have serious consequences for professionals:

• Lost opportunities: Dormant connections today could become critical collaborators or clients tomorrow.
• Broken networks: Users are left unable to maintain, revisit, or reconnect with important professional relationships.
• Reduced user autonomy: Professionals lose control over managing the networks they’ve invested time and effort to build.

What LinkedIn Should Consider Offering Its Users

LinkedIn could strengthen user trust and network value by introducing:

• An opt-in/opt-out option for automated connection “refreshes”
• Transparent notifications when connections are scheduled for removal
• A review system allowing users to choose which connections to retain or reconnect with
• Clear public guidelines outlining how connections are evaluated.