Bluesky will begin verifying ‘notable’ users

Summary

Bluesky on Thursday quietly opened the doors to those who want to become verified on its social networking service. In a post published by the Bluesky Safety account, the company announced that “notable and authentic” accounts can now apply for verification through a new online form. Plus, organizations can request to become a Trusted Verifier to receive access to the tools that allow them to verify others. Bluesky began testing this feature last month with a small handful of organizations, including The New York Times, Wired, and The Athletic. For some on Bluesky, the blue verification badge is not a welcome addition, as it reminds them of the clout-chasing that took place on Twitter (now X). For Twitter users, verification became a sought-after status symbol before devolving into a paid subscriber perk under current owner Elon Musk. It represented a two-tier system where some people were deemed more important or notable than others. However, Bluesky’s approach to verification leans on other systems beyond the blue badge. In addition to farming out verification to other Trusted Verifiers beyond the company itself, users can also self-verify by setting a domain as their username — like NPR has done with its account @npr.org. To date, over 270,000 accounts have already adopted domain-based verification. Image Credits:Bluesky What’s less clear is how Bluesky will vet the applications from those requesting verification. The company’s online form lists some basic requirements, like accounts that have to be active, complete (bio filled out, profile photo, etc.), and secure. They also have to represent a “real person, registered business, organization, or legitimate entity,” and link to any official website if one exists. However, when it comes to who or what’s deemed notable, the criteria is less straightforward. Bluesky says that notable accounts must be notable within their “field and geographic region” and that the company will take into account various indicators of ...