At its core, verification is a way for people to know that the notable accounts they are following or searching for are exactly who they say they are. It’s a way for people to know which accounts are authentic and notable. Verification badges aren’t an endorsement from Instagram, nor do they consider them a symbol of importance.
As a part of our ongoing equity work, we revisited our verification process and found that some people were uncertain about the purpose of verification, how accounts get verified and whether verification affects how an account is treated on Instagram and Facebook.
Over the last few months, we’ve made it a bit easier for people to request verification by updating the form you see in the app. We made updates so people can better understand what needs to be submitted for verification, and to offer more transparency on our requirements. These requirements are consistent across Facebook and Instagram.
Says Cory Lancaster from Instagram.
How do I get verified?
To be verified, you must follow the Terms of Use and Community Guidelines. In the application process (available directly in the app) Instagram requires the following things:
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Your account must represent a real person, registered business or entity.
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Your account must be the unique presence of the person or business it represents. Notable entities (for example pets or publications) are also eligible.
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Only one account per person or business may be verified, with exceptions for language-specific accounts.
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Your account must be public and have a bio, profile photo and at least one post.
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Your account must represent a well-known, highly searched-for person, brand or entity.
We verify accounts that are featured in multiple news sources. We don’t consider paid or promotional content as news sources. Across Instagram and Facebook, we recently expanded our list of news sources to include more diverse outlets including those from additional Black, LGBTQ+, Latinx media, and including more outlets from around the world for example. With the updates we’ve made, people can also now share information about their audience, the region they’re most popular in, and add up to five news articles to help our teams have more context when reviewing the applications.
Says Instagram.
For more information on verification, check out their Help Center.
