According to Engadget, Reddit is starting a “limited alpha test” for verification checkmarks, a major shift for a platform that’s historically been casual about real identities. The initial test involves a small, “curated” group of accounts, including journalists from major outlets like NBC News and the Boston Globe. Businesses that already had an “official” badge from a 2023 test will now get a grey “verified” checkmark instead. The company states the feature is voluntary and opt-in, aimed at adding clarity during events like AMAs or news reporting. For now, even notable users can’t apply for verification, and the checkmark comes with no special perks or rule immunity. Accounts that are NSFW or primarily active in NSFW communities won’t be eligible.
The Old-School Twitter Playbook
Here’s the thing: Reddit‘s approach is basically a carbon copy of how Twitter handled verification before Elon Musk turned it into a paid feature. They’re handpicking high-visibility accounts—journalists, experts, brands—to verify manually. The stated goal is pure utility: to help users know who they’re talking to and to ease the manual verification burden on moderators. It’s a smart, defensive move. In an election year flooded with misinformation, having a clear signal for legitimate news sources isn’t just nice; it’s probably necessary. But it also feels like Reddit is slowly, inevitably, becoming more of a traditional social network. The era of complete anonymity at scale might be ending.
Strategy and the “Eventually For Everyone” Promise
So what’s the business strategy here? It’s not directly about revenue. At least, not yet. Reddit is very clear this checkmark grants no algorithmic boost or special privileges. This is about platform integrity and positioning. After going public, Reddit needs to be seen as a mature, responsible place for information, not just a meme-filled forum. Verifying credible sources is a step toward that. The spokesperson’s line about the goal being that “anyone who wishes to self-identify will be able to do so in the future” is the key. It sets the stage for a broader, possibly application-based system. But you have to wonder: will that future system be free? Or is this the quiet groundwork for a future subscription tier? I’m skeptical it stays completely free forever.
The Weird Status Dance
Reddit insists this is “explicitly not about status.” Come on. It’s a checkmark on the internet. Of course it’s about status. The whole point is to confer a tiny bit of legitimacy and authority that an unverified account doesn’t have. The clever part is tying that status to a practical use—helping moderators—which plays perfectly to Reddit’s core community structure. By requiring accounts to be active and in good standing, they’re also trying to avoid parachuting celebrities into communities they don’t understand. It’s a verification system designed not to break the existing culture, which is a very Reddit way of doing things. But will users see it as a helpful tool or just another layer of platform hierarchy? That’s the real test.
