You Can Now Verify Your Facebook Account With a Video Selfie
Upload a selfie video and earn a white check mark. But is that a good idea?
BigThink
Emily Long Freelance Writer
Experience
Emily Long is a freelance writer based in Salt Lake City.
After graduating from Duke University, she spent several years reporting on the federal workforce for Government Executive, a publication of Atlantic Media Company, in Washington, D.C. She has nearly a decade of experience as a freelancer covering tech (including issues related to security, privacy, and streaming) as well as personal finance and travel.
In addition to Lifehacker, her work has been featured on Wirecutter, Tom’s Guide, and ZDNET. Emily has also worked as a travel guide around the U.S. and as a content editor. She has a masters in social work and is a licensed therapist in Utah.
July 24, 2026
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Key Takeaways
Facebook is adding a free verification feature that allows users to upload a selfie video and earn a white check mark. This is a separate feature from Meta Verified, which is a paid subscription for obtaining a blue check mark in Facebook and Instagram. You'll record a short selfie video, which Facebook will compare to other profile photos, but you should consider whether you want to provide more data to Meta.Table of Contents
If you're on Facebook, you may soon see a new type of verification badge on user profiles meant to indicate that there is a real, live person behind them. The platform is adding a free verification feature that allows users to upload a selfie video and earn a white check mark, which will appear on their profile and across Marketplace, Dating, and Groups. (At launch, badges won't appear in Feed posts, but Facebook says that feature will be added in the future.)
Note that this is different from Meta Verified, a paid subscription that provides the blue check mark to accounts on Facebook and Instagram. This verification indicates that Meta has confirmed the user's identity based on a review of their government-issued ID and, in some cases, a selfie video.
How Facebook Verified works
Facebook Verified is available to users age 18 and older whose accounts are in good standing with the platform's community standards, though the feature is launching in select markets initially before being rolled out globally. Once you have access, you'll need to record a short video selfie, which Facebook will compare to existing profile photos on your account using facial recognition. If your verification is approved, the white check mark will be added to your profile. Verification is not available for Pages or ProMode accounts.
Consider your privacy first
Facebook says it will store your selfie video for "up to 30 days" after verification, which is a one-time process. It's not entirely clear what happens with that video in the meantime, and it's worth noting that Meta has relied on user data to train its AI. Meta AI (and Meta more broadly) is a terrible offender when it comes to privacy and security, so you should consider whether the tradeoff of a verification mark is worth handing over more of your data and read the privacy policy before you agree.
What do you think so far?
Google also launched a video selfie verification feature this week, though its purpose is to prove your identity should you get locked out of your account. Unlike Facebook Verified, which is meant to be a trust signal to other users, Google's selfie verification allows access to your entire Google account, bringing with it some additional security considerations.
