Bluesky will begin verifying ‘notable’ users

Bluesky on Thursday quietly opened the doors to those who want to become verified on its social networking service. In a post published by the Bluesky Safety account, the company announced that “notable and authentic” accounts can now apply for verification through a new online form. Plus, organizations can request to become a Trusted Verifier to receive access to the tools that allow them to verify others. Bluesky began testing this feature last month with a small handful of organizations, including The New York Times, Wired, and The Athletic. For some on Bluesky, the blue verification badge is not a welcome addition, as it reminds them of the clout-chasing that took place on Twitter (now X). For Twitter users, verification became a sought-after status symbol before devolving into a paid subscriber perk under current owner Elon Musk. It represented a two-tier system where some people were deemed more important or notable than others. However, Bluesky’s approach to verification lean ... Read full article.