According to Meta’s announcement and Lifehacker’s report, Meta is adding a free verification feature called Facebook Verified that lets users earn a white check mark by uploading selfie videos.
The purpose of the badge is to indicate a real person behind an account and will appear on profiles and on Marketplace, Dating, and Groups.
Facebook Verified is different from Meta Verified, the paid membership that provides a blue check mark. The feature is launching in select markets ahead of a global rollout.
Meta says it will store selfie videos for 30 days after one-time verification. Lifehacker raises privacy considerations regarding providing additional biometric data to Meta.
How Facebook Verified works and is different from Meta Verified
Facebook Verified is available to users age 18 and older whose accounts are in good standing with Facebook’s Community Standards.
Once a user has access, they record a short selfie video, which Facebook compares to the existing profile photo on the account using facial recognition. If the verification is approved, a white check mark is added to the profile.
Verification is not available for Pages or Promo accounts. At launch, the badge will not appear on feed posts, though Facebook says it plans to add that placement in the future. Badges will appear in Marketplace, Dating, and Groups from launch.
Facebook Verified is different from Meta Verified. Meta Verified is a paid subscription that provides a blue check mark on Facebook and Instagram, and confirms a user’s identity based on a review of a government-issued ID and, in some cases, a selfie video.
In contrast, Facebook Verified is free and relies on selfie videos compared to existing profile photos rather than government ID review. The white check mark serves as a trust signal to other users rather than a confirmation of paid identity.
Privacy Considerations Before Verifying
Meta says it will store selfie videos for 30 days after verification, which is a one-time process. Lifehacker notes that it’s not entirely clear how videos are handled during that retention window, and points out that Meta has previously used user data to train its AI systems.
Lifehacker advises users to check whether it is worth providing additional biometric data to the verification badge meta, and read the privacy policy before agreeing to the process.
Facial recognition data is biometric data, and selfie video is subject to Meta’s retention and data-handling practices during the alleged 30-day window.
Users considering Facebook verification should assess the tradeoffs before recording a selfie video:
- Confirm eligibility, as the feature requires an account in good standing, a user age 18 or older, and availability in the user’s marketplace at the time of launch.
- Read Meta’s privacy policy covering selfie videos, focusing on the retention window of up to 30 days and how videos can be used during that period.
- Review existing Meta AI data permissions on the account, as Meta has used user data for AI training in the past.
- Decide whether the value of the white check mark as a trust signal outweighs that of providing biometric facial recognition data.
- Verify badge placement cases for intended use, as it appears in Marketplace, Dating, and Groups but not in feed posts yet.
Google’s selfie verification started the same week
Lifehacker says Google launched its own video selfie verification feature this week, though it serves a different purpose.
Google’s feature is designed to prove identity for account recovery when a user is locked out, and provides access to the entire Google account. Facebook Verified, in contrast, is a trust signal displayed to other users rather than an account recovery mechanism.
Because Google’s selfie verification can unlock entire account access, Lifehacker notes that it involves additional security considerations aside from Facebook’s profile badges.
Facebook Verified is launching initially in select markets, with a global rollout planned but not dated. Facebook has not confirmed which markets will get the feature first, when feed post badges will be added, or when the feature will expand to additional account types.
Meta hasn’t detailed what happens to stored selfie videos at the end of the 30-day retention period, other than to say that storage lasts for 30 days.
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