Account verification is the process of verifying that a new or existing account is owned and operated by a specified real individual or organization. A number of websites, for examplesocial media websites, offer account verification services. Verified accounts are often visually distinguished bycheck mark icons or badges next to the names of individuals or organizations.
Account verification can enhance the quality of online services, mitigatingsockpuppetry,bots,trolling,spam,vandalism,fake news,disinformation andelection interference.
Account verification was introduced byTwitter in June 2009,[1][2][3] initially as a feature for public figures and accounts of interest, individuals in "music, acting, fashion, government, politics, religion, journalism, media, sports, business and other key interest areas".[4] A similar verification system was adopted byGoogle+ in 2011,[5]Facebook page in October 2015 (Available inUnited States,Canada,United Kingdom,Australia andNew Zealand)Facebook profile andFacebook page in 2018 (Available in Worldwide)Instagram in 2014,[6] andPinterest in 2015.[7] On YouTube, users are able to submit a request for a verification badge once they obtain 100,000 or more subscribers.[8] It also has an "official artist" badge for musicians and bands.[9]
In July 2016,Twitter announced that, beyond public figures, any individual would be able to apply foraccount verification.[10][11] This was temporarily suspended in February 2018, following a backlash over the verification of one of the organisers of the far-rightUnite the Right rally due to a perception that verification conveys "credibility" or "importance".[12][13] In March 2018, during a live-stream onPeriscope,Jack Dorsey, co-founder and CEO ofTwitter, discussed the idea of allowing any individual to get a verified account.[14] Twitter reopened account verification applications in May 2021 after revamping their account verification criteria.[15] This time offering notability criteria for the account categories of government, companies, brands, and organizations, news organizations and journalists, entertainment, sports and activists, organizers, and other influential individuals.[16] Instagram began allowing users to request verification in August 2018.[17]
In April 2018,Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and CEO ofFacebook, announced that purchasers of political or issue-based advertisements would be required to verify their identities and locations.[18][19] He also indicated thatFacebook would require individuals who manage large pages to be verified.[18] In May 2018, Kent Walker, senior vice president ofGoogle, announced that, in the United States, purchasers of political-leaning advertisements would need to verify their identities.[20]
In November 2022,Elon Musk included a blue verification check mark with a paid Twitter Blue monthly membership. Prior to Musk'sacquisition of Twitter, Twitter offered this check mark at no charge to confirmed high profile users.[21] On December 19, 2022, Twitter introduced two new check mark colors: gold for accounts from official businesses and organizations, and grey for accounts from governments or multilateral organizations. The type of check mark can be confirmed by visiting the profile page, then clicking or tapping on the check mark.[22]
Identity verification services are third-party solutions which can be used to ensure that a person provides information which is associated with the identity of a real person. Such services may verify the authenticity ofidentity documents such asdrivers licenses orpassports, called documentary verification, or may verify identity information against authoritative sources such ascredit bureaus or government data, called nondocumentary verification.[citation needed]
The uploading of scanned or photographedidentity documents is a practice in use, for example, atFacebook.[23] According toFacebook, there are two reasons that a person would be asked to send a scan of or photograph of anID toFacebook: to show account ownership and to confirm their name.[23]
In January 2018,Facebook purchased Confirm.io,[24] a startup that was advancing technologies to verify the authenticity ofidentification documentation.
Behavioral verification is the computer-aided and automated detection and analysis of behaviors and patterns of behavior to verify accounts. Behaviors to detect include those ofsockpuppets,bots,cyborgs,trolls,spammers,vandals, and sources and spreaders offake news,disinformation andelection interference. Behavioral verification processes can flag accounts as suspicious, exclude accounts from suspicion, or offercorroborating evidence for processes of account verification.
Identity verification is required to establish bank accounts and other financial accounts in many jurisdictions. Verifying identity in the financial sector is often required by regulation such asKnow Your Customer orCustomer Identification Program. Accordingly, bank accounts can be of use ascorroborating evidence when performing account verification.
Bank account information can be provided when creating or verifying an account or when making a purchase.
Postal address information can be provided when creating or verifying an account or when making and subsequently shipping a purchase. A hyperlink or code can be sent to a user by mail, recipients entering it on a website verifying their postal address.
A telephone number can be provided when creating or verifying an account or added to an account to obtain a set of features. During the process of verifying a telephone number, a confirmation code is sent to a phone number specified by a user, for example in anSMS message sent to a mobile phone. As the user receives the code sent, they can enter it on the website to confirm their receipt.
An email account is often required to create an account. During this process, a confirmation hyperlink is sent in anemail message to an email address specified by a person. The email recipient is instructed in the email message to navigate to the provided confirmation hyperlink if and only if they are the person creating an account. The act of navigating to the hyperlink confirms receipt of the email by the person.
The added value of an email account for purposes of account verification depends upon the process of account verification performed by the specific email service provider.
Multi-factor account verification is account verification which simultaneously utilizes a number of techniques.
The processes of account verification utilized by multiple service providers cancorroborate one another.OpenID Connect includes a user information protocol which can be used to link multiple accounts, corroborating user information.[25]
On some services, account verification is synonymous withgood standing.
Twitter reserves the right to remove account verification from users' accounts at any time without notice.[26] Reasons for removal may reflect behaviors on and off Twitter and include: promoting hate and/or violence against, or directly attacking or threatening other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or disease; supporting organizations or individuals that promote the above; inciting or engaging in the harassment of others; violence and dangerous behavior;directly or indirectly threatening or encouraging any form of physical violence against an individual or any group of people, including threatening or promoting terrorism; violent, gruesome, shocking, or disturbing imagery; self-harm, suicide; and engaging in other activity on Twitter that violates the Twitter Rules.[27]
In April 2023, Blue ticks were removed from all Twitter accounts that had not subscribed to Twitter Blue.[28]