LinkedIn reversed course on Monday and reinstated an Air Force veteran’s post about student loans and apologized for labeling the innocuous statement as “hate speech.”
“Freedom has been secured with our blood, sweat, lives and tears,” the veteran, Gretchen Smith, told Fox News. “Every American has a duty to protect our freedoms.”
She added: “I am grateful LinkedIn reinstated our account. Now we can resume focusing on veterans in crisis/need.”
Last week Smith, founder of the non-profit organization Code of Vets, shared a post that encouraged people to claw their way out of student loan debt.
“I am not responsible for your student debt,” Smith wrote in posts on both LinkedIn and Twitter. “I grew up in poverty in NC. Ate from a garden, name was on a community Angel tree for Christmas, bought clothes from yard sales & if I was lucky, on a rare occasion Sky City. I joined the Air Force then went to college. I made it happen.”
The post came after President Biden announced that federal student loan repayments would be paused through Aug. 31, extending the moratorium that had been set to expire next month.
The Air Force vet was baffled when the social media network removed her post and restricted her account because, they said in a message, the missive “goes against our policy on hate speech.”
“What did I do wrong?,” Smith told Fox News last week. “I shared my story. That’s how I grew up. That’s how I believe everyone is responsible for their own bills and payments, and I’m being punished for it. And I just find it absolutely unacceptable that Big Tech has that kind of power.”
After Smith appealed the move by LinkedIn, the company acknowledged the mistake and apologized.
“We confirmed your content does not violate our policies,” a LinkedIn representative told Smith in a message. “We apologize for the mistake, your content is now back on LinkedIn.”
Smith was satisfied with the result and ready to continue her work to help other vets.
LinkedIn did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Post.