TechCrunch Startup News Yes, LinkedIn banned AI agent startup Artisan, but now it’s back
Jan 8, 2026
Artisan, the AI agent startup, created a stir when it was briefly banned from LinkedIn. The CEO reveals the ban was linked to LinkedIn's concerns over name misuse and alleged data scraping. The discussion highlights Artisan's innovative growth strategies, including intriguing billboard campaigns and their AI agent, Ava. Amidst the drama, the startup plans to refine its approach and expand product offerings. This situation serves as a cautionary tale for other tech ventures in the data-driven agent space.
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Public Ban Became Unexpected Publicity
- Artisan's LinkedIn presence briefly vanished after enforcement restricted their accounts while reviewing the company.
- CEO Jasper Carmichael Jack said the restriction led to a surge in inbound leads because people posted about the ban.
Ban Rooted In Data And Attribution Issues
- LinkedIn's action wasn't about agent spam but about misuse of LinkedIn's name and alleged scraped data from brokers.
- This highlights how platform-policy violations can be about attribution and data provenance, not just user-facing behavior.
Fix Website Copy And Verify Data Vendors
- Remove unauthorized platform mentions and verify third-party data vendors to satisfy platform compliance teams.
- Jasper Carmichael Jack said Artisan removed LinkedIn mentions and vetted vendors to regain access.