Bluesky announced on Monday that it will be introducing blue check verification, confirming earlier speculations about the feature’s impending launch on the platform.
This blue check, akin to Twitter’s original verification system, will authenticate notable accounts to ensure their legitimacy, allowing users to trust that an account’s posts are genuine.
During the initial phase, Bluesky will collaborate with a few selected “Trusted Verifiers.” These are independent organizations capable of verifying accounts as team members. For instance, a company could authenticate its public relations team with blue checks, streamlining the process for users to identify reliable sources of company information.
Bluesky has stated that its moderation team will review each new verification request to ensure authenticity.
Previously, Bluesky offered verification by allowing users to associate their usernames with a domain they own. For example, TechCrunch’s account is authenticated with the TechCrunch domain name, preventing impersonation by unauthorized individuals.
For public figures such as celebrities, journalists, and politicians, this additional verification step is intended to reduce disinformation from impersonators. Bluesky has reported that 270,000 accounts have linked their usernames to a website.
In a blog post, the Bluesky team remarked, “Domain handles continue to be an important part of verification on Bluesky. At the same time, we’ve heard from users that a larger visual signal would be useful in knowing which accounts are authentic.”
Upon launch, Bluesky will not be accepting verification applications but indicated plans to introduce a request form in the future.
