Facebook adds verified pages for high profile accounts

Users will see a small, blue check mark that indicates that the account is not fake

Part of the beauty of social media is supposed to be connecting with people, either ones you know or those who you admire, such as celebrities. But, the problem is, we never really know who we are connecting with. And that is especially true when it comes to a celebrity or national figure. Sometimes there can be multiple accounts with the same celebrity name, and there is a big risk of  those who may be less wise in the ways of the Internet being scammed.

For that reason Facebook has finally decided to launch verified pages, it was announced in a blog post Wednesday.

"Today we're launching verified Pages to help people find the authentic accounts of celebrities and other high-profile people and businesses on Facebook," the company wrote.

Verified Pages will have a small, blue check mark beside their name. It will appear on timelines, in search results, and other places on Facebook. Users can hover over the blue badge on a verified profile or Page to learn more. 

Somehow, Facebook is actually behind other social networks when it comes to verification, though it is one of the older networks out there.

For example, Twitter has been verifying accounts since 2009, while Google+ has had them since 2011.

So why did Facebook wait so long? Perhaps it is an indication that Facebook is changing what kind of network it wants to be.

Originally, Facebook was a way for regular people to connect with people they already knew, either their friends, family or classmates. Twitter, though, showed that connections could also be forged between celebrities, including actors and musicians, and their fans. And Facebook seems to want to get in on that action.

In 2011, the network launched a subscription feature, with allowed it users to follow other users, and get their updates, without needing to be their "friend." Adding verification will enhance that service, by letting users know that the person they are following is actually real.

Verification will help users so that they can be sure that the profile belongs to the person who they claim to be. So that if a celebrity puts up a post asking their followers to donate to a charity, Facebook users can be certain that they will actually be donating to a real cause.

(Image source: https://newsroom.fb.com)