verification
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YouTube CEO apologizes for channel verification mess (updated)
YouTube came under fire Thursday after changes to its verification program meant several prominent YouTubers will lose the coveted status. CEO Susan Wojcicki has since apologized for the "frustration and hurt that we caused with our new approach to verification." Update (6:25 PM ET): Wojcicki has announced that currently verified channels will keep their badges without needing to appeal.
YouTube makes verification harder to earn, and some will lose it
YouTube is about to make it considerably harder to earn that coveted "verified" status. The service has outlined a revamp of the verification process that will ditch the previous 100,000-subscriber requirement in favor of approving channels based on authenticity and prominence. It should behave more like verification on social networks, in other words -- there has to be a real concern that someone might impersonate a channel or otherwise spark confusion. Any channel that meets the new requirements will automatically receive the treatment when the updated verification system is ready in late October, while those that don't will receive notices and must appeal if they believe it's a mistake.
Juul will require retailers to scan IDs before selling its vapes
By May 2021, anyone looking to purchase a Juul e-cig will have to have their ID scanned. Juul announced today that it will soon require all retailers to use an updated point-of-sale (POS) system. When Juul products are scanned, the POS will prompt the retailer to scan the customer's ID. Anyone under the locally mandated age will be prohibited from buying Juul products. The POS will also block sales of more than one vaporizer and four refill packs, so users won't be able to buy in bulk and presumably share with their underage friends.
Bots have invaded Instagram comments
The last thing I expected to find on Instagram was someone telling me not to look at their Story if I didn't want to masturbate. But that comment, which I can only assume was intended reverse psychology, wasn't just directed at me. It was left on a post from Sky Sports and, thanks to the thousands of likes garnered by the comment, it was the first thing the account's 2.7 million followers would see when they looked at the comments on that picture. There are similar comments all over Instagram, particularly on high-profile pages with millions of followers. And they have one thing in common: They're spam profiles with pictures and videos of naked and half-naked women, which were created to get you to look at their accounts and then have you sign up for shady pornographic sites.
T-Mobile and Comcast will label authentic calls to fight spam
In an attempt to fight robocalls, T-Mobile and Comcast are teaming up to bring their customers call verification. The carriers will use the STIR/SHAKEN protocol to label authentic numbers, so users will know they're not receiving a spam call. The catch is that, for now, only calls between the two networks will be eligible for the "Caller Verified" label.
eBay now verifies the authenticity of luxury watch sales
eBay's Authenticate program now covers more than high-style handbags. The online shopping giant now verifies the authenticity of luxury watch sales from more than 30 luxury brands, including Audemars Piguet, Breitling, Patek Philippe and Rolex. Sellers who pass muster will receive an "authenticity verified" badge that makes clear the watches they sell are the real deal. That's rather important when watches like Audemars' Royal Oak or Patek's Nautilus can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Instagram displays more info to prove popular accounts are legit
Instagram is no stranger to fake accounts, and it's taking extra steps to ensure that you're not following fraudsters. It's rolling out an "About This Account" feature in the next few weeks that will show you details for users with large follower counts, including when they signed up, where their activity is located, the ads they're running and their social connections. You can figure out whether that politician's account is just a Russian ploy, or whether your celebrity crush really followed you.
Facebook requires Page managers to complete authorization process
Facebook is introducing a new verification process intended to ensure those who run Pages with a significant following are who they say they are. Starting with Pages that have a large US audience, Page managers will have to complete an authorization process that will require them to confirm their primary country location and secure their account with two-factor authentication. Those required to take this step will receive a notice at the top of their News Feed and they won't be able to post on the Page in question until the authorization process is completed. Facebook says it's taking these steps to make it "harder for people to administer a Page using a fake or compromised account."
Twitter may open up verification to everyone
During a Periscope livestream yesterday, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said that the company is working on making verification an option for everybody. He and David Gasca, Twitter's director of product, said that the company is currently rethinking and reworking its verification process because they believe it's broken as it exists now. "The intention is to open verification to everyone," Dorsey said. "And to do it in a way that's scalable, [so] we're not in the way and people can verify more facts about themselves and we don't have to be the judge or imply any bias on our part."
Twitter may have resumed verifying users
Twitter took heat all through 2017 for bungling its delicate balance between protecting free speech and enforcing its policies to protect users from harassment. One of the flashpoints was the unintended validation Twitter gave to users it 'verified,' which ended up including a number of white supremacists and other terrible people. The platform stopped allowing public requests to get the coveted blue checkmarks in mid-November while it re-evaluated the process. But over the last few days, at least one user has been quietly verified.
Twitter pulls conspiracist's verified badge after celebrity outrage
Twitter's stricter approach to verification isn't just taking checkmarks away from the leaders of racist groups. The social network has pulled the verified badge from conspiracy peddler Liz Crokin after Chrissy Teigen and her husband John Legend reacted to Crokin's unsupported claims that the two were trafficking their child in a Washington, DC pedophile ring. As Teigen explained, it didn't make sense that Twitter would verify someone who was accusing her of horrific acts, especially not when this person has nearly 50,000 followers.
Twitter: Suspension of New York Times account was human error
Twitter has fumbled yet again. Over the weekend, the platform temporarily locked a New York Times account for violating its rule against hateful conduct, but the tweet in question, a report on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's apology over the treatment of native people in Newfoundland and Labrador, was rather unoffending -- further muddying what will and won't get you suspended by the platform. The account was fully restored about a day later and Twitter has said that the suspension was the result of human error.
Twitter tries to fix verification of people 'we in no way endorse'
Sure, being verified on social media isn't always as good as people think, but after a recent blowup, Twitter says it's addressing the "perception" of endorsement a blue checkmark confers. While the network has notably verified the accounts of self-proclaimed white supremacists and Nazis, it appears to be reversing that policy. One item on the new list of reasons an account can lose verification cites promoting hate against certain races/nationality or supporting groups that do. Loss of verified status Twitter reserves the right to remove verification at any time without notice. Reasons for removal may reflect behaviors on and off Twitter that include: Intentionally misleading people on Twitter by changing one's display name or bio. Promoting hate and/or violence against, or directly attacking or threatening other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or disease. Supporting organizations or individuals that promote the above. Inciting or engaging in harassment of others. Violence and dangerous behavior Directly or indirectly threatening or encouraging any form of physical violence against an individual or any group of people, including threatening or promoting terrorism Violent, gruesome, shocking, or disturbing imagery Self-harm, suicide Engaging in activity on Twitter that violates the Twitter Rules.
Twitter halts verification after backlash over Charlottesville organizer
Over the last month, Twitter seemed to finally wake up to the need to fight the rampant hate speech and abuse that happens on its platform. That made yesterday's decision to verify Jason Kessler, the leader of the white supremacist rally that took place in Charlottesville, VA this summer, incredibly odd (or incredibly foolish). Regardless, the blue checkmark is firmly in place on Kessler's account, and users pretty quickly told Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey they weren't happy about this move. This morning, Twitter responded -- not by revoking Kessler's verified status, but by saying it was pausing all general verifications to resolve confusion around what being verified really means. "Verification was meant to authenticate identity & voice," reads a tweet on the company's support account, "but it is interpreted as an endorsement or an indicator of importance."
eBay will now verify luxury handbags sold on the site
eBay is now offering a new service for sellers of high-end handbags. Today the company launched eBay Authenticate, a program that photographs, lists, sells, ships and verifies the authenticity of luxury handbags from 12 major brands. eBay says the goal is to provide would-be buyers with more confidence in the items they're about to throw down a lot of money for.
WhatsApp now deals in customer support for businesses
A year after outlining its plans to give the platform customer service functionality, WhatsApp has revealed how businesses will be able to communicate with users via verified accounts. A green check badge -- not dissimilar to the ones found on Facebook and Twitter -- next to a contact name means the phone number belongs to a business account. You'll also know when you start talking to a business through the app, as messages will appear in yellow. The feature is currently in beta for a small number of businesses participating in a pilot program.
PewDiePie's Twitter temporarily suspended after ISIS joke
Yesterday, popular YouTube personality PewDiePie made minor headlines for losing his Twitter verification checkmark. Today, he was briefly suspended for the service. "I did this yesterday as a joke," he explained on Youtube, teasing users who view Twitter verification as a status symbol. "But then America woke up and that's when shit got stupid." Overnight, Kjellberg says an account parodying Sky News posted a fake news story claiming he lost his verification status for having "suspected relations with ISIS." Later, the YouTuber referenced the article on Twitter, joking that both he and JackSepticEye had joined the terrorist organization. Later, his account Twitter account was suspended.
Twitter opens up application process for verified accounts
The little blue checkmark on certain Twitter profiles has long been an elusive identifier to obtain. Verified accounts are often awarded to personalities on Twitter to identify them as "authentic," and you'll generally see them on profiles owned by musicians, television personalities, actors, and other important figures.
The perks of being 'somebody' online
The web was supposed to be the great equalizer. But, it turns out, the haves and have-nots exist online too. And they're separated by a mark of distinction: verification. A month ago, William Shatner got into an unfortunate public spat on Twitter with John Colucci, our social media manager, over why he was verified on Twitter. Shatner argued that recognition should only be given to public figures who are in danger of being impersonated. In Shatner's words, "nobodies should not be verified because it shows a huge flaw in the Twitter system." This spiraled into a big kerfuffle involving several other Twitter users. When our Editor-in-Chief Michael Gorman stepped in to defend Colucci by saying he was verified because he's good at his job, Shatner interpreted that as an abuse of the verification system. Things died down eventually, but Shatner held tight to his belief that verification is a privilege for a select few.
WildStar offering a free mount to players with 2-step verification
Do you have 2-step verification on your WildStar account already? The team at Carbine Studios really wants you to, since the added layer of security helps ensure that no one steals your stuff. So you're getting a little added incentive starting on July 10th -- a free bike! The Retroblade mount is free to all accounts with 2-step verification starting tomorrow, while everyone without 2-step verification will simply have to stare at your new ride with envy. Or, you know, get verified. This bonus is in addition to the existing benefits offered by the verification process, which includes a cosmetic headpiece, a title, and a 2% experience boost on all characters. Plus confidence that your account won't get stolen, which is also fun. The announcement has more details about the process if you haven't already gotten in on the verification train; all you'll need is a smartphone and a few moments to log in.
