IDV in Social Media: The Current State and Future Prospects

There are at least three main reasons why social media platforms seek to verify their users: 

As a major part of daily life, social media platforms attract millions of users—as of February 2025, there are over 5.24 billion social media identities worldwide. Unfortunately, not all of them are legitimate users who post harmless content and follow the rules. Criminals also use these platforms to exploit others and break the law. 

Social platforms like Facebook are not just for socializing—they also serve as sign-in options for third-party platforms through tech integrations. A Facebook account takeover gives scammers the keys to many doors, including financial services. For instance, new users can sign up for the Wallet app using their Facebook, Google, or Apple account. Beyond manual payment tracking and segmentation, the app also allows users to link their cards for automated transactions—making compromised accounts even more valuable to fraudsters. 

Another challenge is that social media platforms are no longer just for communication—they also offer online shopping. For example, US users can now purchase goods through Instagram Shopping and pay via Meta Pay, where payment details are stored. 

Sensitive payment data can also be shared through direct messages between customers and brands or shops they buy from on social media.

In an environment where both anonymity and fake identity are technically allowed, fraudsters thrive. Deepfake technology enables them to create convincing profiles, which they use for various fraudulent activities, including romance scams, identity fraud, and political campaigns designed to spread fake news or undermine opponents’ credibility. 

When such cases become public, they damage the reputation of social media platforms, leading to user drop-offs and higher bounce rates as people leave for competing services. 

The social media landscape is constantly evolving, with new players like Bluesky and BeReal entering the market. This keeps industry leaders on their toes, pushing them to introduce new features that attract and retain users—an invaluable asset for any platform. 

Surprisingly, robust identity verification can serve as a competitive edge for some social media outlets. In Regula’s recent study on the impact of deepfakes, 26% of respondents identified personal relationships and social media as the areas most affected by deepfakes. When asked about the greatest risks to organizations, specialists cited identity theft (42%) and misinformation and disinformation campaigns that harm reputations (33%)—issues in which social media platforms often play a role.

Supporting this, a study on public sentiment about social media account security found that emotions such as “concern,” “disappointment,” “anger,” and “fear” dominate Reddit users’ discussions on the topic. 

This indicates that both individuals and businesses are now seeking safer online environments where they can interact with real people, not fakes or spoofs.

Using identity verification—now one of the key aspects of cybersecurity—to combat fraudsters, impostors, and other bad actors on social platforms can enhance overall online security. This approach may particularly appeal to a broad customer base, especially content creators who favor deanonymization. The more creators a platform attracts, the larger its audience grows. 

Despite being largely free from strict government control, social media platforms—given their role as powerful communication tools—are under increasing scrutiny from regulators worldwide. 

Currently, legislation treats social media platforms as intermediaries rather than regulating them directly. For example, the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) requires platforms to moderate content to prevent the spread of illegal information, with non-compliance fines reaching up to 6% of a company’s global revenue.  

The absence of a universal legal framework allows governments to take exceptional measures when they perceive security threats.

For instance, in 2023, EU lawmakers banned TikTok from officials’ devices due to security concerns. In 2024, the US imposed even stricter measures, including a potential nationwide ban, a move that EU politicians may also consider. While the TikTok case is often seen as part of a broader trade war, it also highlights the legal instability that popular social platforms face worldwide. 

From this perspective, identity verification in social media plays a crucial role in preparing for future regulations. Governments are already introducing stricter rules:

• The UK Online Safety Act (2023) mandates social media companies to enforce age limits and protect underage users, with penalties of up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue, whichever is greater.

• Australia’s Online Safety Act (2021) requires social platforms to shield children from age-inappropriate content.

• In France, authorities have proposed an independent supervisory body responsible for collecting user identities upon registration on social media platforms.

All these initiatives signal major regulatory changes ahead for social media platforms and apps.

It’s incorrect to say that social platforms don’t contribute to user security. Most offer some form of verification for their users—whether they are individuals, content creators, or businesses. Let’s look at some examples to assess the current state of IDV in the industry: 

With over 2.95 billion active users, WhatsApp can be considered a social platform thanks to features like group chats and channels. A phone number serves as the primary identifier for both new and existing users, making it a key component of user onboarding or reverification. 

WhatsApp offers two verification options: standard verification and optional two-step verification. In the standard process, a new user must enter a 6-digit registration code sent via SMS or phone call to confirm their phone number. Additionally, WhatsApp can automatically verify a user’s phone number without an SMS or missed call by working with telecom operators to validate that the device information matches the registered phone number. 

After registration, users can enhance their account security by creating and confirming a unique PIN, which is required for authentication. 

Initially designed for businesses and content creators on Facebook and Instagram, Meta offers monthly subscription plans that grant accounts a badge. However, this option is available only in select countries. 

Starting at $14.99 per month, the subscription includes a verified badge and impersonation protection through proactive monitoring. Notably, this feature isn’t available to users under 18. 

To verify identity, the social platform relies on government-issued ID documents, while video selfie verification is available in select regions as an extra step. A snapshot from the video may be sent to human agents to compare it with the profile picture on the account being verified.

For this reason, the name on the ID must match the profile name and photo. If a user changes their name or date of birth on their Facebook or Instagram profile, they must complete identity verification again.  

The platform formerly known as Twitter offers a similar verification system for users and organizations. However, its badge framework is more complex, featuring different colors:

• Blue—for regular users

• Gray—for government agencies and politicians

• Gold—for businesses, nonprofits, etc.

• Black—for users affiliated with verified organizations

The verification procedure, available only to Premium subscribers, first relies on eligibility criteria such as a complete profile, platform activity, and notability—meaning the account must be associated with a recognized individual or brand.

Beyond that, the account must be authentic. For individual users, this requires ID verification, which involves submitting a photo of a valid government-issued identification document, such as a driver’s license or passport. Businesses can verify their identity through an official email and/or website.

LinkedIn also assigns badges to verified accounts, allowing users to choose which aspect of their professional life to verify—identity, workplace, or educational institution. 

Depending on the location, identity verification is handled by third-party services. In the US, Canada, and Mexico, the process typically involves two key steps—taking a selfie and presenting a government-issued photo ID, though the ID requirement may be optional in some cases.

By comparison, workplace verification may involve confirming a business email address via a code sent to that email or using Microsoft Entra Verified ID, if the user’s company supports the service.

All verified accounts on LinkedIn receive a gray badge. 

*These screenshots are used for illustration purposes only: Miley Cyrus, Mark Zuckerberg, NASA, McDonald's.

Despite the rise of new social platform formats—such as blockchain-based Verasity and Steemit, or privacy-first apps like Signal—most industry players remain traditional, relying on user profiles with personal details and photos.

Many platforms have already implemented some form of identity verification, but current measures appear insufficient against emerging threats like deepfakes, which are expected to grow more advanced with the evolution of generative AI. 

Considering how regulators and users view data privacy and cybersecurity on social networks, we may see the following shifts:

Most legal initiatives related to social media focus on restricting access to certain content for underaged users. Platforms like YouTube already offer standalone experiences for minors, along with parental controls. It’s likely that age verification—in some form—will become widely adopted, especially on platforms catering to younger audiences.

Currently, ID verification is mostly limited to paid subscribers on many platforms. In the future, we may see broader implementation, along with new verification methods, such as digital identities and DTCs. These alternatives could be more convenient, as they allow users greater control over their personal data compared to traditional passport scans, which can be compromised or intercepted due to poor security policies.

At present, selfie or video verification is optional on some platforms. However, advanced liveness detection could make biometric checks a mandatory step in the verification process. Liveness checks—which require users to perform random head nods or facial expressions—are among the most effective tools against presentation attacks, including deepfakes. 

Regula’s solutions, including Regula Document Reader SDK and Regula Face SDK, are ready to support social media platforms in the fight against fraudsters.