Meta Introduces Free Facebook Verified Badge for Genuine Users

Meta has launched a free Facebook Verified badge to help users identify authentic accounts, as part of its efforts to curb fake profiles, scams and AI-generated identities on the platform.

The new verification feature is available at no cost and uses a short video selfie along with facial recognition technology to confirm that an account belongs to a real person.

Meta clarified that the badge verifies only the authenticity of the account holder and should not be viewed as an endorsement of the individual's credibility or trustworthiness.

To obtain the badge, users must record a brief video selfie, which is matched against their existing profile photos using facial recognition. The company also reviews the account for signs of fraud, scams and violations of its Community Standards related to inauthentic behaviour.

The verification process takes just a few minutes, after which the badge appears across Facebook Marketplace, Dating, Groups and the user's profile.

The feature is currently available only to individual Facebook users aged 18 and above. Business Pages and Professional Mode accounts are not eligible.

Meta said the rollout has begun in selected markets and will expand globally in phases.

Unlike the paid Meta Verified subscription, which costs $11.99 per month on the web and requires a government-issued ID, the new Facebook Verified badge is free and is intended solely to confirm that an account belongs to a real person.

The initiative comes as advances in generative AI have made it easier for scammers to create highly convincing fake profiles using realistic images and fabricated personal information.

By combining AI-generated content labels with free human verification badges, Meta hopes to improve user confidence, particularly on services such as Marketplace and Dating, where impersonation and fraudulent accounts have become increasingly common.

The use of facial recognition is likely to attract scrutiny from privacy advocates and regulators, especially in Europe and the UK, where Meta has previously faced legal challenges over its handling of biometric data.

Meta says the new verification system will make it easier for users to distinguish genuine accounts from fake ones, although questions remain about how biometric data will be stored and protected as the feature expands worldwide.