Jay Peters is a senior reporter covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme.

Reddit is starting to test verified profiles, the company announced today. Users who are verified as part of this “limited alpha test” will have a gray checkmark next to their username “across profiles, communities, feeds, post detail pages, and search results.”

For this “initial test,” Reddit says it’s “selected a group of public figures and trusted partners,” and they’ll need to opt in, have accounts in good standing, and “actively contribute” on the platform. Reddit notes that verification “doesn’t grant special privileges.”

Currently, users can’t request verification. Businesses that already have the “Official” label that Reddit started testing in 2023 will have that replaced with the new gray checkmark.

“Pseudonymity has always been a core principle of Reddit, and this remains true with verified profiles,” Reddit says. “Our approach to verification is voluntary, opt-in, and explicitly not about status. It’s designed to add clarity for redditors and ease the burden on moderators who often verify users manually. We hope this test establishes a consistent way for individuals and businesses who wish to clearly identify themselves on Reddit.”

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• Jay Peters