Facebook dabbles with validating user identity

AFP FILE PHOTO

SAN FRANCISCO– Facebook on Thursday began testing a way for celebrities, journalists, athletes and others with massive followings to have their identities validated at the globally popular online social network.

“The new process enables people to verify their identities by submitting a government issued ID,” Facebook said in an email response to an AFP inquiry.

“Once verified, they’ll also have the option to more prominently display an alternate name (nickname, maiden name, byline, etc.) on their timelines in addition to their real name.”

The validation option was being rolled out as a minor update to the Subscribe feature at Facebook for people with large numbers of followers.

The benefits of confirming people’s identities online have been touted by Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg at the company’s developers conference.

Twitter has long validated accounts of high-profile users of the one-to-many text messaging service as a way to instill confidence in the reliability of “tweets.”

Other Stories:

Facebook and Twitter jump on Google glasses

Losing candidates use social media to express thanks

LinkedIn looks to build on its impressive resume

Bro. Villanueva, Grace Poe, Bam Aquino lead race in social media

Recent Stories:

Del Rosario urges China to be ‘a responsible and positive force’ _{2 hours elapsed}

Task force sent to Mindanao to stop traffickers preying on typhoon victims _{3 hours elapsed}

2 or 3 of disqualified party lists may still make it to Congress _{3 hours elapsed}

It takes two to do the show biz breakup cha-cha _{3 hours elapsed}

PH cineastes celebrate in the French Riviera _{3 hours elapsed}

Juday: Violence against women unacceptable _{3 hours elapsed}

Makati Circuitfest 2013 turns ‘wet and wild’ _{3 hours elapsed}

Stone Temple Pilots sue ex-frontman Scott Weiland _{3 hours elapsed}

Tags: Celebrities , Facebook , identity validation , journalists , Marck Zuckerberg , Timeline