Facebook has launched verified accounts, in a similar vein to Twitter, which will allow high profile users of the social network to have their identities authenticated.
The social network has begun testing the new authenticated account system with accounts which have a large number of subscribers.
In order to have a profile verified, celebrities and high profile accounts will need to contact Facebook and supply some form of official documentation to prove their identity.
Just as on Twitter, where high profile tweeters have a small blue tick next to their profile picture to denote their identity, Facebook will offer a few profile and name display options for famous users.
"Once verified, they'll also have the option to more prominently display an alternate name (nickname, maiden name, byline, etc.) on their timelines in addition to their real name," a Facebook spokesperson said. "This update makes it even easier for subscribers to find and keep up with journalists, celebrities and other public figures they want to connect to."
It is becoming increasingly important for social networks to properly verify their high profile users’ accounts. Twitter’s verification system came under scrutiny last month after it wrongly verified a fake Wendi Deng (the wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch) account as real. Twitter admitted the error after News Corporation pointed out the mistake. However, the microblogging company failed to elaborate on how its identity verification service works.
-Telegraph
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