Reddit might tackle its bot problem with identity verification

Reddit may introduce some form of identity verification to tackle its growing bot problem, reports Engadget.

According to CEO Steve Huffman, the company is evaluating several different solutions. One option is biometric methods such as Face ID or Touch ID, where a physical action—such as looking at the screen or touching a fingerprint scanner—can confirm that the person interacting with Reddit is a real individual indeed.

At the same time, Reddit is also looking at more privacy-friendly alternatives, such as third-party verification services that don’t require ID. At the other end of the scale is more comprehensive verification methods, such as government-issued IDs.

Why is Reddit doing this? As a possible way to combat the growing number of bots that are flooding communities with manipulative content and carrying out various kinds of experiments on the platform.

User identification is a hot topic right now, especially in the wake of the recent controversy surrounding Discord’s age verification. While there are clear benefits to verification features, users are rightful to be skeptical and cautious when companies like Reddit want to roll out wide-scale identification, especially in our current climate.