Another way people spread fake information on Twitter is by presenting the fake information as a retweet. For example: “Really? RT@JoeBiden I’m announcing my retirement from politics.” That makes it appear as if you’re simply retweeting an original tweet. Fakers also often add a Twitter blue verification check mark to the cover photo on a faked account to make it appear legitimate. To check whether an account is actually verified, hover over the blue tick, and you will see the text “verified account” pop up. If it’s not there, it is not a verified account. Facebook introduced a similar verification program, using the same blue tick system, for celebrities, journalists and government officials. Verified ticks can appear on Facebook pages as well as personal profiles. (As with Twitter, Facebook manages the verification program, and decides which verification requests to accept.) On Facebook pages, such as Usain Bolt’s below, the tick appears underneath the cover photo, next to the person’s name. On personal profiles, the tick appears on the cover photo. Here’s the profile of Liz Heron, editor of emerging media at The Wall Street Journal: It’s worth noting that, as with Twitter, people have been known to Photoshop blue ticks onto cover photos. So, as with Twitter, if you hover your mouse over the blue tick, the phrase “verified profile” will appear. But as with Twitter, remember the verification process is far from transparent, so with lessfamous people, it can be unclear whether an unverified account is a fake, or whether they’re just not famous enough to be verified! 28