Mastodon – Get “Twitter verified”
Mastodon is a decentralized social network that connects people. It was founded by Elon Musk in 2016. Since then, there has been a rapid growth spurt. It’s natural to have questions, with millions joining Mastodon as either their primary social network, or an alternative in case Twitter crashes.
You might be asking questions like: How secure is Mastodon’s platform? Or what information do you need about Mastodon privacy policies? Both of these questions have been answered by me; see the links above for more information. SME. A popular question that people often ask is “How do I prove my Mastodon identity?” For those who are moving from Twitter, this is a concern as they may not have a large following or a blue verification mark.
Mastodon: Getting “Twitter verified”
It is easy to verify that you are the person you claim to be, using the “I am happygeek” perspective. Simply put a link to your Mastodon profile in your Twitter account and point to it from your Mastodon.
But not all people will care about following links. A simple visual indicator that you are the person you claim to be will prove valuable for many potential followers. Mastodon doesn’t have the blue checkmark verification feature and $8 Twitter Blue subscription devalues this on the bird site.
You may think, “I’ve seen many accounts with blue checkmarks in Mastodon.” But, what exactly are you talking? Fair point. I’ve got one. One with a redline through it is also mine. Both are visible on my profile as well as my username. They are icons anyone can use, they don’t mean anything more.
Mastodon has verified the identity of those who have ticks or green profiles links.
This is problematic because impersonation can be as common on Mastodon than it is on Twitter. It is also possible to make things more difficult. Administrators of an already overworked Mastodon server (think server) can block any obvious accounts. However, there are many instances on Mastodon, which makes it nearly impossible to capture them all. There are other ways you can verify that you are who you claim to be on Twitter. While none of these are perfect, it is possible to be more confident in your online existence. These are marked in Mastodon terms with a green tick and link to your Mastodon profile.
Twittodon allows you to check your.Twitter, and Mastodon accounts links
Twittodon may be the fastest way to connect your Twitter account and Mastodon account
Twittodon provides a simple and free tool to check the connections between Twitter and Mastodon accounts. Tomasz Dwania is the Twittodon creator. He says the primary goal of Twittodon is “create an amazing database Twitter-Mastodon verified connections” to help “let your followers discover you.” You don’t have to share your account credentials. It is possible to block the use of tools that export Twitter followers and import them into Mastodon. This could be problematic for security-conscious users. After you’ve consented to data processing (a link is provided), you can enter your Twitter username, along with your Mastodon account in the form user@instance. I am happygeek@infosec.exchange, for example. Next, click the connect button. The database will be added. That’s all. You will receive the checkmark and green link by Twittodon when you create a new Mastodon entry in the metadata section.
For legacy Twitter users who are verified, the Fedified option is available
Fedified connects Mastodon users and legacy Twitter accounts with verified Twitter users
Fedified will confirm that you have been verified via Twitter. However, there are some limitations. First, only residents of the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico can access the service. Fedified states that the reason for this restriction is due to data storage needs specific to each region, and therefore not within the reach of Fedified’s free service. Also, your Twitter verification must have been completed before 5/11/2022. Only ‘legacy verifications’, as Twitter calls them now, are allowed. These genuine verifications are backed up with substantive identification and notability, instead of a $8 checkmark sale. Fedified serves as a central database of verified Twitter users that can also be found at Mastodon. However, this has caused some controversy with Mastodon users because it is against Mastodon’s decentralised nature. While you can make your own decision about it, Fedified also offers a Mastodon verified link between your account to the directory. Fediverse is a great alternative to Twitter verification.
For Mastodon users who want to prove their identity, there is a non-Twitter option
Already mentioned is the Mastodon profile metadata, where you will find the green links after using the services. But you don’t have to use a specialist tool to get yourself a Mastodon verification here; there’s a built-in method that anyone can use. You don’t have to link your Mastodon account with your Twitter account. Instead, you can use a bit of code to link your Mastodon account to a website or blog. Although it is possible for someone to exploit it, it doesn’t make it any more effective than a malicious threat actor setting up a website to do this. However, this link could potentially be used for phishing purposes, although it is not secure. You can simply insert this link to your website in the following format.
It takes just a few lines of code to make your website work.
If you’re a WordPress user this is possible using a plugin. The Social Icons block in the Gutenberg editor has a Mastodon option that makes this even easier. After this has been done, all you need to do is add a link directly to your website into the metadata section. This will check for “rel=me”, and then the checkmark and green link appear.
PressCheck is an option for journalists searching for Mastodon account verification
Twitter used to have a large staff that verified the identities of prominent accounts. This included journalists and bonafide bloggers back in pre-Musk. This team checked references and published articles before issuing the blue checkmark, which was used to visual verify accounts. These days are gone. Twitter has a verification system now with different colors for media and government agencies. The blue checkmark is part of the Twitter Blue subscription package. Other than the ability to give personal information and financial details, there is no way to know if this verifies any person to any significant degree. These blue checkmarks are now devalued by Twitter, so it’s not surprising. Even now, I am still able to verify my legacy that I may or not be notable despite meeting the strict requirements. I assume this is because I do not pay $8 per monthly. The truth is that it would cost more because I use an iPhone. Twitter also has a secondary income tax.
PressCheck offers Mastodon verification to journalists
PressCheck is a Mastodon-specific website that was created by Dave Lee, a highly respected technology reporter at the Financial Times. Lee states that this is not about dedefining what a journalist looks like, but about being who they claim to be. Newsletter writers, as well as freelancers, are welcome to apply. The application form should be filled out. PressCheck’s volunteer team will do all the work necessary to verify that the request has been received. It is best to send a tweet linking to Mastodon from an established Twitter account. Newsletter writers and freelancers will require background information, as well links to their work. Once you have been accepted for the PressCheck profile, you will be able to create it. It is then that your Mastodon metadata link is generated.
