Verified

Twitter Verified stamp. To see all the complete badges, go to Verified Badges.

**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 example ***social media*** websites, offer account verification services. Verified accounts are often visually distinguished by check mark icons or badges next to the names of individuals or organizations.

Account verification can enhance the quality of online services, ***mitigating sockpuppetry***, ***bots***, ***trolling***, ***spam***, ***vandalism***, ***fake new*s**, ***disinformation*** and ***election interference***.

## History

Account verification was initially a feature for public figures and accounts of public interest, individuals in "*music, acting, fashion, government, politics, religion, journalism, media, sports, business and other key interest areas*". It was introduced by **Twitter** in June **2009**, followed by **Google+** in **2011**, **Facebook** in **2012**, **Instagram** in **2014**, and **Pinterest** in **2015**. On **YouTube**, users are able to submit a request for a verification badge once they obtain *100,000* or more subscribers. It also has an "*official artist*" badge for musicians and bands.

In July **2016**, **Twitter** announced that, beyond public figures, any individual would be able to apply for account verification. This was temporarily suspended in February **2018**, following a backlash over the verification of one of the organisers of the far-right Unite the Right rally due to a perception that verification conveys "*credibility*" or "*importance*". In March **2018**, during a live-stream on **Periscope**, Jack Dorsey, co-founder and CEO of **Twitter**, discussed the idea of allowing any individual to get a verified account. **Instagram** began allowing users to request verification in August **2018**.

In April **2018**, **Mark Zuckerberg**, co-founder and CEO of **Facebook**, announced that purchasers of political or issue-based advertisements would be required to verify their identities and locations. He also indicated that **Facebook** would require individuals who manage large pages to be verified. In May **2018**, Kent Walker, senior vice president of **Google**, announced that, in the United States, purchasers of political-leaning advertisements would need to verify their identities.

## Techniques

### Identity verification services

***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 of ***identity documents*** such as ***drivers licenses*** or ***passports***, called documentary verification, or may verify identity information against authoritative sources such as ***credit bureaus*** or government data, called non-documentary verification.

### Identity documents verification

The uploading of scanned or photographed ***identity documents*** is a practice in use, for example at **Facebook**. According to **Facebook**, there are two reasons that a person would be asked to send a scan of or photograph of an ***ID*** to **Facebook**: to show account ownership and to confirm their name.

In January **2018**, **Facebook** purchased Confirm.io, a startup that was advancing technologies to verify the authenticity of ***identification documentation***.

### **Biometric verification**

*Biometrics, Facial recognition system, and Speaker recognition*

### Behavioral verification

***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 of ***sockpuppets***, ***bots***, ***cyborgs***, ***trolls***, ***spammers***, ***vandals***, and sources and spreaders of ***fake news***, ***disinformation*** and ***election interference***. Behavioral verification processes can flag accounts as suspicious, exclude accounts from suspicion, or offer ***corroborating evidence*** for processes of account verification.

### Bank 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 as ***Know Your Customer*** or ***Customer Identification Program***. Accordingly, bank accounts can be of use as ***corroborating evidence*** when performing account verification.

Bank account information can be provided when creating or verifying an account or when making a purchase.

### Postal address verification

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.

### Telephone number verification

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 an ***SMS message*** sent to a mobile phone. As the user receives the code sent, they can enter it on the website to confirm their receipt.

### Email verification

An email account is often required to create an account. During this process, a confirmation hyperlink is sent in an ***email 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 verification

Multi-factor account verification is account verification which simultaneously utilizes a number of techniques.

### Multi-party verification

The processes of account verification utilized by multiple service providers can ***corroborate*** one another. ***OpenID Connect*** includes a user information protocol which can be used to link multiple accounts, corroborating user information.

## Account verification and good standing

On some services, account verification is synonymous with ***good standing***.

**Twitter** reserves the right to remove account verification from users' accounts at any time without notice. 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.

## References

1. https://help.twitter.com/en/managing-your-account/about-twitter-verified-accounts
2. https://blog.twitter.com/official/en\_us/a/2009/not-playing-ball.html
3. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-kanalley/twitter-verified-accounts\_b\_2863282.html
4. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-kanalley/twitter-verified-accounts\_b\_2863282.html
5. https://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/google-now-verifying-accounts-of-the-famous/
6. https://techcrunch.com/2012/02/15/facebook-verified-accounts-alternate-names/
7. http://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-verified-badges-2014-12
8. http://www.businessinsider.com/pinterest-is-introducing-verified-accounts-for-public-figures-brands-celebrities-2015-6
9. https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/3046484?hl=en
10. https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7336634?hl=en
11. https://www.wsj.com/articles/twitter-lets-anyone-apply-for-a-blue-verified-badge-1468960671
12. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/19/blue-ticks-for-all-twitter-allows-all-users-to-be-verified
13. https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/twitter-verifications-suspended-1202610990/
14. http://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-suspends-account-verifications-after-backlash-2017-11
15. https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/twitter-verified-account-open-everyone-1202722587/
16. https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/28/17791450/instagram-verified-request-verification-status
17. https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10104784125525891https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10104784125525891
18. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/06/business/facebook-verification-ads.html
19. https://www.blog.google/topics/public-policy/supporting-election-integrity-through-greater-advertising-transparency/
20. https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/183000765122339
21. https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/23/facebook-confirm-io/
22. https://openid.net/specs/openid-connect-core-1\_0.html#UserInfo
23. https://help.twitter.com/en/managing-your-account/twitter-verified-accounts
24. https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/twitter-rules