Verification Process Tweaked for Facebook, Instagram

Facebook revisited the verification process for both the flagship social network and Instagram, and the company found that there was some confusion among people about the purpose of verification, how accounts get verified and whether verification affects how those accounts are treated on both platforms. The social network said in a blog post last week that the process of requesting verification was simplified and the in-application form was updated to help people better understand what must be submitted and to provide clarity and transparency on its requirements, which are consistent across Facebook and Instagram. In order to be verified, account holders must: Follow the company’s terms of use and community guidelines.The account must represent a real person, registered business or entity.The account must be the unique presence of the person or business it represents, with exceptions built in for cases such as pets or publications.Only one account per person or business may be verified, with exceptions for language-specific accounts.Accounts must be public and include a biography, a profile picture and at least one post.Accounts must represent a well-known, highly searched-for person, brand or entity. Facebook said it verifies accounts that are featured in multiple news sources, but it does not consider paid or promotional content to be news sources. Its list of news sources across Facebook and Instagram was recently expanded to add more diverse outlets, including those from Black, Latinx and LGBTQ+ media outlets, as well as from countries around the world. As part of the updated application form, people can share information about their audience and the region they are most popular in, as well as include up to five news articles. The social network clarified in its blog post, “Simply put, verification signals authenticity and notability. It’s not an endorsement from us, and being verified doesn’t mean that your content is favored by our systems in terms of where your content shows up. We try to ensure impartiality in the verification application process by relying on sources such as credible press coverage and examining the person’s cultural impact. For example: are they currently a big part of what people in their community are talking about? Have they recently gone viral?” The company suggested that in order to guard against hackers attempting to take control of accounts and their verification badges and followings, it highly recommends the use of two-factor authentication. Once accounts are verified, the account name cannot be changed, and verification cannot be transferred to another account. Facebook wrote, “The purpose of the blue badge is for people to know that the account has been vetted and we have confirmed that they are who they say they are.” Finally, the social network said it will take action in cases where it finds that verification was acquired in a malicious way or verified accounts are being sold.

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Verification Process Tweaked for Facebook, Instagram

Requirements are consistent across both platforms

David Cohen

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David Cohen