Bluesky has officially introduced a new verification system that features the familiar “user-friendly and easily recognizable” blue checkmarks, signaling a significant step in the social media platform’s evolution.
The company’s blog post opens with, “Trust is everything. Social media has connected us in powerful ways, but it hasn’t always given us the tools to know who we’re interacting with or why we should trust them.”
As opposed to the subscription-based model implemented by X (fka Twitter), Bluesky’s verification approach is positioned as something to be earned based on notability and authenticity, rather than a purchased one.
So, the decentralized social media network began rolling out blue checks to verify authentic and notable accounts by establishing a multi-layered approach to verification that includes both platform-issued badges, and scalloped blue check verification by trusted third parties.
As a platform and system that was built on allowing individuals and organizations to use their domain as usernames, which the company says was their first layer of verification, it allows for just about anyone to be verified with the blue check after the company has proactively done their due diligence.
In addition to this feature is the introduction of a scalloped blue checkmark, where the social media service transferred the power to verify to select independent organizations so they can verify accounts directly. These organizations are known as “trusted verifiers.”
“Blue checks issued by platforms are just one form of trust. But trust doesn’t come only from the top down; it emerges from relationships, communities, and shared context,” the blog post said. “So, we’re also enabling trusted verifiers: organizations that can directly issue blue checks. Trusted verifiers are marked by scalloped blue checks, as shown below.”
For instance, the New York Times, a popular newspaper company, can issue scalloped blue checks to its journalists directly in the app, with the social media company’s moderation team reviewing each verification to ensure notability and authenticity.
To see which company has verified an individual, the company notes that, “When you tap on a verified account’s blue check, you’ll see which organizations have granted verification.”
The company also notes that, “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.”
