Google Plus Starts Verifying ‘Celebrity’ Accounts
Stuck with sleepless nights, worrying over whether the Dolly Parton on Google Plus is actually the real Dolly Parton? Worry no longer, country-western fan:
This example is just one of many that Google is now alleviating through the addition of verified Google Plus profiles. According to Google Plus representatives, the feature is slowly rolling out to a variety of users.
So how can you tell if a particular Google Plus profile page is verified or not? Easy: Look for the addition of a checkmark next to a user’s name. This checkmark doesn’t appear in comments or news posts the person makes, so you’ll have to click through to a user’s profile page to find out whether the account actually represents the famous celebrity in question.
But we should add a caveat: Google isn’t just confining verified accounts to the rich, famous, and public. If you’re a popular Google Plus user, you might soon be asked if you’d like to verify your account as well.
“For now, we’re focused on verifying public figures, celebrities, and people who have been added to a large number of Circles,” writes Google Plus team member Wen-Ai Yu. “But keep in mind that this is just the beginning. We’re working on expanding this to include more people in the future, so hang tight!”
Google hasn’t unveiled the official criteria for what constitutes enough of a “celebrity status” to warrant a verified account – we mention that as we do, for it’s unclear why people like Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (469,245 circle additions and counting) have yet to receive the coveted checkmark of truth next to their names.