Koo, Twitter's Rival In India, Tests Giving Users Power To Self-Verify

Koo, backed by Tiger Global and Accel, said it has streamlined the process by allowing users to self-authenticate.

Koo, the microblogging and social networking app for Indian languages, is hoping to go one up on rival Twitter Inc. by allowing users to self-verify their profiles, as competition for millions of first-time users heats up.

A verified profile on social media such as Twitter and Instagram -- typically marked by a badge or tick next to the profile name -- gives the user credibility because it means the service has confirmed the authenticity of the person. A verification badge is typically used by celebrities and other influencers, and obtaining one can be difficult and take weeks or months.

Koo, backed by Tiger Global and Accel, said it has streamlined the process by allowing users to self-authenticate. Under the new process, users link their accounts to a unique biometric number from the Indian government's digital identity database, Aadhaar, which is similar to a U.S. Social Security number. They then activate the verification by sending a password to a mobile phone linked to that Aadhaar number. It typically takes just a few minutes.

"Microblogging sites' biggest bane is automated bots, fake accounts and anonymous trolling," Aprameya Radhakrishna, Koo's co-founder and chief executive officer, said via Zoom. "This voluntary self-verification feature is toward making social media safer and more real."