Meta has announced Facebook Verified, a new free verification system designed to confirm that a Facebook profile belongs to a real person, as the company looks to combat fake accounts and AI-generated identities.
Unlike Meta Verified, the company’s paid subscription service that offers additional account benefits, Facebook Verified is completely free. Users can verify their identity by recording a short selfie video, which Facebook compares against existing profile photos to confirm the account belongs to the person using it.
Once verified, a badge will appear on a user’s profile and in key areas of Facebook where identity is especially important, including Marketplace, Dating, and Groups. Meta says the badge will also begin appearing alongside posts in users’ Feeds in the future.
According to Meta, the feature has been introduced as advances in artificial intelligence make it increasingly easy to generate convincing fake profiles, images, and messages. The company says the new badge provides a simple visual indication that there is a real person behind an account, helping users make more informed decisions when buying and selling items, joining communities, or interacting with other people on the platform.
To qualify, users must be at least 18 years old, have an account in good standing, comply with Facebook’s Community Standards, and successfully complete the selfie verification process. The feature is currently limited to personal Facebook profiles and is not available for Pages or professional-mode accounts.
Meta says the badge confirms only that an account belongs to a verified individual and meets the platform’s eligibility requirements. It does not represent an endorsement of the user or guarantee that they are trustworthy, and verified users remain subject to Facebook’s Community Standards and other platform policies.
Facebook Verified is rolling out in phases, beginning in select markets before expanding to additional countries worldwide.