Google: Verified Accounts Coming Soon ? 🧐

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Google has started testing « verified » badges within its search results. According to the search engine, this is an experiment for a feature that could be rolled out soon.

Test Appearance 🧪

You might notice that some of your Google search results have a slightly different look. As noted by the digital media outlet The Verge, the web giant has begun inserting small badges next to certain results as a test to indicate their legitimacy.

For those unfamiliar, the small white checkmark on a blue background is meant to assure users that the site they’re about to visit belongs to the intended business and is not a phishing website that has managed to climb to the top of Google results.

A Warning ⚠️

Google’s testing of this feature is limited. Only a few authenticated sites and Google accounts are currently displaying the new badge. When asked about it by The Verge, Google public affairs spokesperson Molly Shaheen told

We regularly experiment with features that help shoppers identify trustworthy businesses online, and we are currently running a small experiment showing checkmarks next to certain businesses on Google. 

This is essentially Google’s attempt to target malicious websites. Clicking on the small icon will show a message that reads: « This icon is being shown because Google’s signals suggest that this business is the business that it says it is. ». The goal here is to guide users through the vast web, preventing them from falling victim to scams.

A Copy of X ? 🤔

This new system is reminiscent of the former verification mechanism used by X, previously known as Twitter. However, Elon Musk removed all legacy verification badges from Twitter in April 2024, making them exclusive to Twitter Blue subscribers.

Would you like to take advantage of this new feature? And why? Let us know in the comments☺️

Sources : The Verge, Frandroid