Facebook last week announced it will now verify the identity of people who exhibit inauthentic behavior and whose posts tend to go viral in the US.
As part of its efforts to ensure that the content people see on its platform is authentic, and comes from real people – not bots or bad actors trying to hide their identities – Facebook started verifying the identity of people who are managing Pages with large audiences. Now, the company is extending ID verification to some users who command large audiences in the US.
Specifically, Facebook will be verifying the identity of those who may exhibit patterns of inauthentic behavior and whose posts go viral fast in the United States.
Related | Google Starts Requiring Identity Verification From All Advertisers
“We want people to feel confident that they understand who’s behind the content they’re seeing on Facebook and this is particularly important when it comes to content that’s reaching a lot of people,” explained Product Managers Anita Joseph and Michele Pacelli, in a recent announcement.
If any person opts not to verify their identity (or the ID they provided doesn’t match the linked Facebook account), Facebook will reduce the distribution of their viral post so fewer people will get to see it. If this person is the admin of a Page, Facebook will force them to complete Page Publishing Authorization before being allowed to post from their Page.
How to get Authorized to Publish on your Facebook Page
- Turn on two-factor authentication for your Facebook account.
- Confirm your location or turn on Location Services on your mobile device. You can also update the current city on your profile to help Facebook figure out where you are based.
Note that if your Page has a System User, you need to verify all Business Manager accounts to allow your System User to publish on your Page.