Spotify has a new use for “verified” check marks: They can identify human creators

On the internet, it’s been a roller coaster ride for the humble check mark.

At the height of Twitter’s popularity a decade ago, blue check marks were one of its most important safety features. Public figures could request verification to make sure their followers knew which account belonged to the actual celebrity.

Then, when Elon Musk acquired Twitter and changed its name to X, he democratized blue check marks. Anyone could get one (for a price), and that wide rollout defeated the initial purpose of the feature. The concept of account verification became so watered down that it wound up as a running joke on rival platforms.

When the check mark first hit Twitter, the fakes were humans, not artificial intelligence, but things have changed. As AI-generated deepfakes spread across the internet, platforms are developing tools that help humans protect their likenesses.

Spotify‘s plan to protect creators from AI-related fraud involves a new role for the profile page check mark. Some artist pages now feature a green icon that represents the humanity of the account’s owner. For Spotify, check marks don’t just verify that a page belongs to a public figure — they confirm that it belongs to an actual person.

Several AI-generated musical acts have recently cracked the pop charts, and that trend has sounded alarm bells across the entertainment industry. Engines like Google’s Veo 3 and hyperreal characters like Tilly Norwood already blur the lines between reality and technology. In the musical medium, the lack of visual cues makes it even harder to suss out AI-generated acts.

That’s where the green check marks come in. “The new Verified by Spotify badge shows an artist profile has been reviewed and meets Spotify’s criteria for authenticity and trust,” reads a blog post. “And with Artist Profile Protection (currently in beta), artists now have greater control over what appears on their profile, which helps to ensure the music you see is coming from them.”

The check marks will start showing up on artist profiles in the “coming weeks.” Spotify will add the badges to more accounts as it continues to verify the humanity of its musical catalog.

The verification process won’t stop AI companies from releasing pop songs, but it will be an important aid for the listeners who are sick of the AI boom and the bottomless pit of “slop” content it has produced. And on Spotify’s end, the check marks are a necessary safeguard. After all, if you’re going to release tons of AI-powered features, you might as well take steps to curb the tech, too.