3 min read
Bluesky, the decentralized social platform, has officially rolled out its user verification program, opening applications to accounts deemed “notable and authentic.”
Announced via the official Bluesky Safety account, the move aims to formalize identity confirmation while balancing the platform’s anti-centralization ethos.
How does it work?
The new verification system allows individuals and organizations to apply through a public online form. While users can request verification for their own accounts, groups and institutions can also sign up to become Trusted Verifiers, partners given access to tools that let them verify others.
This program, which began pilot testing last month, has already seen participation from major outlets such as The New York Times, Wired, and The Athletic.
Bluesky’s alternative to the Classic Blue Badge
Though the familiar blue verification check is making a return, some Bluesky users have voiced concerns. They worry it may reintroduce the clout-based culture once seen on Twitter (now X), where the blue tick evolved from a symbol of authenticity into a subscription-driven status symbol under Elon Musk’s leadership.
But Bluesky is attempting a different path. Instead of relying solely on a central authority, it offers domain-based self-verification, allowing users to authenticate themselves using custom domains, such as NPR’s handle: @npr.org. Over 270,000 users have already adopted this method.
What makes a user “Notable”?
While the application form outlines essential requirements, active profiles, complete bios, secure accounts, and links to official websites, the true measure of “notability” remains more nuanced.
Bluesky states that notable users must be recognized within their “field and geographic region.”
Criteria include “professional recognition, media coverage in established publications, presence on credible reference platforms, or other evidence of public interest.”
The company adds:
“We consider the overall context and public interest value of each account. Please provide links and evidence that can help us ensure that your account meets notability criteria.”
Bluesky will only notify successful applicants, suggesting a manual vetting process is in place to ensure influential figures don’t go unnoticed.
Community vs. Centralization
This verification rollout could alter Bluesky’s social culture, which has so far avoided hierarchy and elitism. Some argue the move might have been better timed after establishing a broader, decentralized network of independent verifiers, reinforcing its non-centralized foundations.
On the other hand, platforms like Deer. Social, a forked version of Bluesky, has embraced a more grassroots approach. There, users nominate their own trusted verifiers and view others verified by those same contacts. It’s a community-driven model that bypasses centralized control entirely.
Bluesky’s new verification initiative signals a shift in the platform’s structure, balancing credibility with its commitment to decentralization. Whether users embrace or resist the blue badge will likely depend on how inclusive and transparent the system proves to be in the coming months.
