Reddit has begun testing a new verification badge system that adds a grey checkmark next to the usernames of notable individuals, experts and businesses. The feature, which is currently limited to a small group of profiles, is aimed at helping users quickly confirm that a public figure or professional contributor is who they claim to be.
In a statement announcing the pilot, Reddit said the checkmark is designed to improve trust during interactions “when verification matters,” such as AMAs with celebrities, journalists sharing breaking news or brands posting official updates.
The platform emphasized that the feature is optional and opt-in, noting that Reddit’s culture of pseudonymity remains intact. The lack of a checkmark, the company added, does not automatically mean a user is impersonating someone. The test will expand gradually, and even with a full rollout, many well-known users may still choose to remain unverified. Tony Hawk, for instance, is known to casually post on skateboarding subreddits without any need for special status.
Eligibility for verification will depend on whether an account is in good standing and considered a “trusted partner,” although Reddit did not define the criteria. NSFW profiles and users who primarily post in adult communities will not qualify. For now, Reddit staff are verifying accounts manually, but the platform says it plans to adopt a third-party verification process in the future.
Reddit’s move comes amid renewed debate over identity authentication on the internet, especially as social platforms grapple with AI-generated content, bots, and impersonation. It also arrives at a moment when Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian is preparing to relaunch Digg — a rival aggregator whose creators have argued that the internet needs stronger systems to ensure that real humans, not automated agents, are behind accounts. Digg’s team is exploring cryptographic tools such as zero-knowledge proofs to address this challenge.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s human-verification initiative, World, is also expected to release a new app this week, adding to the growing push toward identity authentication online.
