Google is experimenting with a new verification feature in search that should help users avoid clicking on fake or fraudulent web links. According to The Verge, some users see blue verification checkmarks next to website links in search results, which indicate that a company, such as Meta✴ or Apple, is genuine, and not some copycat trying to profit from recognizable brand.
Image Source: The Verge
«We regularly experiment with features that help consumers identify trusted businesses online. We’re currently running a small experiment showing checkmarks next to certain organizations in Google search,” Google PR representative Molly Shaheen told The Verge.
According to the publication, blue verification checkmarks can be found at Microsoft, Meta✴, Epic Games, Apple, Amazon and HP, but they may not be displayed for all users. This suggests that the experiment is not widely deployed.
When you hover your cursor over the verification checkbox, a message is displayed explaining that this is indeed a link to a resource of a particular brand, and not to the site of a scammer posing as someone else. To verify links, automatic and manual checks are used, as well as data from the Merchant Center platform, a Google representative explained in a conversation with The Verge.
Apparently, the new Google search experiment is an extension of the Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) feature previously introduced in Gmail. The latter allows Google’s email service to display a blue verification check mark next to the name of the sender of the letter who has verified his identity. Google has not yet officially announced plans to integrate verification checkboxes for search, nor has it said when more users will be able to see the feature.