Social media has managed to make everyone more connected and informed than ever before, but it has also created a confusing mix of fact and misinformation. Part of the problem is knowing whether to trust that an individual on a particular platform is who they say they are.
Becoming verified on Twitter used to be a goal – a dream, even – for many people, but this changed when Twitter morphed into X and verification became a paid-for label available to anyone. Now rival platform Bluesky has unveiled a new component to its existing system of verification. It is an approach that other may learn from.
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Until now, the official means of helping to make it clear that you are who you say you are on Bluesky was to use a personal domain as your username. This has proved fairly popular, but not everyone has – or wants – their own domain. The problems don’t end there, however. Domain-linked usernames are not infallible as it is easy for anyone to buy any domain they fancy.
There is also the issue of visibility. Twitter’s blue check system was instantly noticeable and recognizable, and this is something that Bluesky is taking into account with its updated approach to verification.
Announcing the new feature, Bluesky says:
Now, we’re introducing a new layer — a user-friendly, easily recognizable blue check. Bluesky will proactively verify authentic and notable accounts and display a blue check next to their names. Additionally, through our Trusted Verifiers feature, select independent organizations can verify accounts directly. Bluesky will review these verifications as well to ensure authenticity.
This second part – Trusted Verifiers – is extremely interesting. It gives organization – such as news outlets, high-profile companies and so on – to issue blue checks to accounts associated with them. So, a newspaper could easily verify its journalists – both staff and freelance – to create greater trust in post from accounts.
There is still moderation from Bluesky to ensure that the system is not abused, but the new approach is much simpler and faster.
If you are hoping for a blue check of your own, however, the news is less positive. Bluesky explains:
During this initial phase, Bluesky is not accepting direct applications for verification. As this feature stabilizes, we’ll launch a request form for notable and authentic accounts interested in becoming verified or becoming trusted verifiers.
But it does sound as though requests to be verified have not been ruled out.