Reddit Is Testing Official Badges For Verified Accounts
Reddit is testing a new identifier system that assigns an "official" badge to legitimate accounts belonging to an institution, brand, or personality. Think of it like the verified badge on Twitter, but in an era where it couldn't be purchased and was only granted by social platforms to people that were important, or notable non-profits, government institutions, and companies. But there are a few crucial differences here. Reddit won't say if it has set any parameters of "importance" or "relevance" before it gives the "official" badge to an account.
Instead, it seems like the self-proclaimed internet's first page is focused more on identity confirmation so that users know they are interacting with a legitimate outlet instead of fake impersonators. "This label is designed to help mods and users quickly identify these organizations, and allows them to trust that these users are who they say they are," Reddit explains in an official blog post.
The biggest difference between Reddit's "official" badge and the verified blue-tick badges on other social media platforms is that it doesn't come with any extra privileges nor with a sticker price attached to it. The whole initiative is still in its early testing phase, and the number of Reddit accounts that currently have the "official" badge is in the double digits. However, the company is eager to expand the circle by partnering with brands eager to maintain a community presence on the platform.
Turning back the clock
Comparing Reddit's official badge with the rest, Twitter Blue offers a slew of exclusive features like the ability to edit tweets and post long-form articles. On the other hand, Meta Verified for Facebook and Instagram serves enhanced protection from bad actors and grievance redressal. The official label isn't a paid perk either, unlike the blue badge sold by Twitter Blue and Meta Verified.
Reddit is sticking to the basics of online legitimacy protocols here, one that is inspired by the original blue tick verification from the pre-Musk era. The ultimate objective is to protect brands from bad actors and impersonators, and at the same time, safeguard community members from any kind of material loss due to scams. Reddit's move is definitely a breath of fresh air, but lately, the company's record hasn't been as community-focused as it seems at the moment.
Following a controversial change to its API policy a few months ago that essentially shut the doors for third-party mobile apps and volunteer-driven work, thousands of subreddits went dark in protest, and hundreds of them are still protesting. But instead of holding a productive discussion, Reddit's CEO went on an aggressive reasoning spree and made it clear that Reddit was focused on milking money from the platform's trove of precious human interaction data. As moderators tried to cut down on engagement as a form of protest, Reddit forced their hands and warned that it would start removing mods.