If you’re on Facebook, you may soon see a new type of verification badge on user profiles meant to indicate that there is a real, live person behind them. The platform is adding a free verification feature that allows users to upload a selfie video and earn a white check mark, which will appear on their profile and across Marketplace, Dating, and Groups. (At launch, badges won’t appear in Feed posts, but Facebook says that feature will be added in the future.)

Note that this is different from Meta Verified, a paid subscription that provides the blue check mark to accounts on Facebook and Instagram. This verification indicates that Meta has confirmed the user’s identity based on a review of their government-issued ID and, in some cases, a selfie video.

How Facebook Verified works

Facebook Verified is available to users age 18 and older whose accounts are in good standing with the platform’s community standards, though the feature is launching in select markets initially before being rolled out globally. Once you have access, you’ll need to record a short video selfie, which Facebook will compare to existing profile photos on your account using facial recognition. If your verification is approved, the white check mark will be added to your profile. Verification is not available for Pages or ProMode accounts.

Consider your privacy first

Facebook says it will store your selfie video for “up to 30 days” after verification, which is a one-time process. It’s not entirely clear what happens with that video in the meantime, and it’s worth noting that Meta has relied on user data to train its AI. Meta AI (and Meta more broadly) is a terrible offender when it comes to privacy and security, so you should consider whether the tradeoff of a verification mark is worth handing over more of your data and read the privacy policy before you agree.

Google also launched a video selfie verification feature this week, though its purpose is to prove your identity should you get locked out of your account. Unlike Facebook Verified, which is meant to be a trust signal to other users, Google’s selfie verification allows access to your entire Google account, bringing with it some additional security considerations.