Account verification is an increasingly hot topic on social media as users want to know who they interact with is legitimate. With fake accounts and AI bots a problem, networks are finding ways for users to legitimize their accounts and profiles. Google is the latest company to take measures and is bringing blue checkmarks to Gmail.
Google has introduced a new feature for Gmail users that will help them identify emails from verified brands. The feature, which is rolling out today, will display a blue checkmark icon next to the sender's name on emails that have adopted Google's Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) initiative.
BIMI is a standard that allows brands to display their logos as avatars in emails, as long as they use strong authentication and verify their logo with a certification authority. Google launched BIMI for Gmail in 2021, and now it is adding the blue checkmark as an extra layer of trust and security.
The blue checkmark will appear on both Workspace and personal Gmail accounts, and users can hover over it to see a pop-up that confirms the sender has verified their domain and logo. Google says this will help users and email security systems to identify and stop spam, as well as create a better email ecosystem for everyone.
Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are Taking Similar Action
Last month, Microsoft-owned LinkedIn debuted three different methods for verifying profiles on the platform for free. During 2022, the company launched its “About this profile” feature to combat a surge of bot accounts. This feature highlights when a profile was created, if it has a phone number, work email, and other information.
In February, Facebook introduced its own blue checkmark verification. Like on Twitter, the feature is a subscription service where users must pay monthly to have account verification. Users must pay $11.99 USD per month for the web or $14.99 USD per month on iOS.
When Elon Musk acquired Twitter last year, one of his ideas to monetize the platform was to charge users to verify their accounts. That idea is now in place, with Twitter users needing to pay to have a Blue Tick official stamp.
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