Google is testing checkmarks in search for authentication
By ForGeeks Some Google search users have started noticing a blue checkmark icon next to businesses that Google considers genuine. Google is experimenting with a new verification feature to make it easier for users to avoid going to fake or fraudulent sites. These blue icons next to business links in search results indicate that a company, such as Meta* or Apple, is genuine, not a copy looking to take advantage of brand recognition.
Meta* or Apple is genuine, not a copy looking to take advantage of brand recognition.
A statement from a Google spokesperson
«We regularly test features that help shoppers find trustworthy businesses online. Right now, we’re doing a little experiment by showing checkmarks next to certain businesses on Google,»” Molly Shaheen, a public relations representative for Google, told Molly Shaheen in an interview with The Verge.
The Verge
Example of how checkmarks appear in search
TheVerge editor Jay Peters noticed checkmarks next to official links from companies such as Microsoft, Meta*, Epic Games, Apple, Amazon, and HP. However, those checkmarks disappeared when he logged into another Google account, meaning the experiment doesn’t yet extend to a wide audience.
Amazon.
What checkmarks mean in search
When you hover over a checkmark, a message appears explaining that «Google signals suggest that the business is indeed who it claims to be.» This is determined through factors such as website verification, data from the Merchant Center, and manual checks, as explained by Shaheen. The new search experiment appears to be an extension of the Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) feature that Google uses to display checkmarks in Gmail next to senders that have passed the verification process.
Brand Indicators for Message Identification
When will checkmarks become available to all users?”
Google has not yet officially announced the launch of checkmarks in search, nor has it said when (or if) more users will be able to see the feature.
* Owned by Meta, it is recognized as an extremist organization in Russia and its activities are banned.
