Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into LinkedIn over allegations that the professional networking platform advertised and profited from fake or misleading job listings, commonly referred to as “ghost jobs”.

According to the Office of the Attorney General, LinkedIn is under investigation for allegedly marketing Premium subscription services to job seekers while failing to disclose that a significant number of vacancies listed on the platform may not represent genuine hiring opportunities.

LinkedIn, which has more than one billion registered users worldwide, generated approximately $17.8 billion in revenue during the 2025 fiscal year through Premium subscriptions, recruiter licences and advertising products. The platform has become one of the world’s leading destinations for job seekers and employers.

The investigation focuses on LinkedIn’s Premium Career and Premium Business subscriptions, which cost around $39.99 and $69.99 per month, respectively. The Attorney General’s office said many subscribers, including displaced workers, recent graduates and military veterans, rely on the platform’s representations that listed vacancies are legitimate and actively being filled.

A “ghost job” refers to a vacancy that either does not correspond to an actual open position or remains advertised despite an employer having no immediate intention of hiring. Independent studies have estimated that such listings account for between one-fifth and one-third of online job advertisements.

The Attorney General’s office alleged that LinkedIn does not independently verify the hiring status of most job listings and that its Premium marketing materials do not inform users that a substantial proportion of vacancies may be inactive, unfilled or otherwise not representative of genuine employment opportunities.

“As Attorney General, I will use every resource available to my office to help job-seeking Texans find and secure real employment opportunities,” Paxton said in a statement.

“LinkedIn has a duty to provide the services it advertises and ensure that consumers paying for Premium subscriptions are receiving access to legitimate job postings. I am investigating whether LinkedIn has misled Texans by promoting and profiting from ‘ghost jobs’ while marketing itself as a trusted platform for finding employment.”

As part of the investigation, the Office of the Attorney General has issued a Civil Investigative Demand seeking documents, data and internal communications related to LinkedIn’s advertising, marketing, verification practices, and representations concerning its Premium subscription services and job listings.