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Reddit is starting a limited test of verified profiles, which places a grey checkmark beside the username of a notable person or business.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis feature is designed to help redditors understand who they\u2019re engaging with in moments when verification matters, whether it\u2019s an expert or celebrity hosting an AMA, a journalist reporting news, or a brand sharing information,\u201d Reddit wrote in a blog post<\/a>.<\/p>\n Believe it or not, there used to be a time on the internet where a verification checkmark simply just confirmed that a notable figure is who they say they are, and was not a signifier that you are paying a monthly fee<\/a> to Elon Musk and\/or Mark Zuckerberg<\/a>. But Reddit has decided that perhaps it is, actually, a good idea to verify the accounts of public figures in an attempt to mitigate the spread of misinformation. <\/p>\n Reddit acknowledges that pseudonymity is a key part of its culture, allowing users to express themselves more openly than they would if their real name was attached to everything they say. But Reddit says that this feature is completely voluntary and opt-in. The verification feature is less so about denoting a special elite status, but making it easier for both ordinary users and subreddit moderators to quickly verify that someone is being truthful about their identity.<\/p>\n The absence of a checkmark doesn\u2019t mean someone is a fraud, though. Reddit is piloting this feature with a small batch of profiles, and even if the checkmarks get a full rollout, it\u2019s still possible that some famous Redditors won\u2019t get a check.<\/p>\n Tony Hawk<\/a>, for example, posts very casually on skateboarding subreddits, simply chatting about his favorite sport with likeminded fans. He\u2019s just like us! But he does blow up his spot a bit when he shares his own skating videos on r\/OldSkaters, because there probably aren\u2019t many 57-year-olds doing heel flips.<\/p>\n While Reddit\u2019s checkmarks are in their alpha rollout, users will be eligible if they\u2019re active contributors in good standing and \u201ctrusted partners,\u201d which Reddit did not specify. Having a checkmark doesn\u2019t give a user any special privileges. However, users will not be eligible for a checkmark if they are an NSFW profile, or if they primarily engage in NSFW communities. <\/p>\n For now, Reddit is manually verifying profiles, but says it will use a third-party process<\/a> in the future.<\/p>\n It\u2019s probably not a coincidence that Reddit is exploring verification at the same time that its co-founder Alexis Ohanian is launching a reboot of the social aggregator, Digg.<\/a> Digg\u2019s founders have expressed concern<\/a> that the internet is becoming flooded with bots and AI agents, and they want Digg to be a place where people can connect with actual humans. They\u2019ve said<\/a> they\u2019re looking into using zero-knowledge proofs<\/a> as a potential way to verify that users are human.<\/p>\n Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, has also been exploring means of verifying people\u2019s humanity online. World, Altman\u2019s human verification project<\/a>, is expected to release an app this week that also focuses on keeping out bots.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n