Evaluate the Investment Case for Instagram's Verified-Account Checkmark

You are a product manager at Instagram. How would you decide whether the company should invest in a verification badge, the mark showing that an account really belongs to the person or brand it claims to be? ```hint Start with the harm Work out what goes wrong today when people cannot tell an authentic account from an impersonator, who bears the cost, and how you would measure it, before you compare ways to invest. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Does "invest" mean building a badge from scratch, or putting more resources into the checkmark Instagram already shows on notable accounts, for example by opening it to more people? - Which accounts are in scope: public figures and creators, businesses and brands, or anyone willing to prove their identity? - Is new revenue a goal, for instance verification sold as part of a subscription, or is this purely a trust decision? - Can a change launch in a few countries first, or must it be global from day one? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - What the badge is meant to signal (authenticity rather than endorsement) and what "investing" would cover - The groups affected (badge holders, people searching for and following them, impersonation victims, the review operation) and evidence for the size of each group's problem - Investment options compared with each other and with alternatives that are not badges, on impact, cost and risk - Success metrics, guardrails, and a way to measure impact without leaving a control group exposed to scams - A clear decision rule and recommendation, with the conditions that would reverse it ### Follow-up Questions - If anyone can pay for a badge, what happens to what the badge means, and how would you protect it? - How would the identity checks and human review behind the badge have to work at Instagram's scale? - A verified account starts spreading harmful misinformation. Should the badge policy change?