Name Verification FAQ

Name Verification process

We believe that letting authors verify their name helps increase their credibility and trustworthiness in the eyes of their readers. You are not required to verify your name to use Knol, but if you choose to do so, you will be asked to provide some personal information, which we will use in an effort to authenticate your name. Today, this experimental (beta) service is only available for US accounts. We currently are also limited to verify names where we have available data so if one verification method doesn’t work please try the other. Over time we will add additional verification methods.

For verification by phone number, we will securely pass your name and phone number to a telephone directory database, and if your information matches their records, we’ll give you a unique Personal Identification Number (PIN) for use in the verification process. You’ll get an automated phone call on the phone number that you gave us, asking you to key in your PIN and that’s it – you’re verified. You must have a phone number in your own name to use this option. Please note that rotary phones, VoIP numbers and extensions may not work with our PIN verification system.

For verification by credit card number, we will securely pass your verification information to a third-party credit bureau, which will confirm that your information matches a record in their database. Your credit card will not be charged, this process will not result in an “inquiry” to your credit profile, and no one will look at any credit rating information or specific financial information in connection with this verification. Google will not see or have access to your credit profile or other credit bureau information. Instead, the credit bureau will simply provide us with a status indicator to let us know whether or not the information matched their records.

Please Note: Your verified name will be identical to the name we verified through your phone number or credit card number, so if you don’t want that exact appearance of your name to appear on Knol, you shouldn’t use Name Verification. Also, Debit cards won't work.

We will not share your information with anyone other than the third party database providers that process these verifications for us, and your verification information will be treated and stored securely throughout this process. After the verification process is complete, Google will not display or share any of the information you provide except your name, which will be displayed on Knol as your verified author name. If you’d like to learn more about how Google handles your personal information, you can read about our Privacy Policy here.

I've tried, and it does not work!

We currently only support the experimental name verification feature for the USA and only from a limited set of data providers. If one method doesn’t work please try the other. We are working to add additional data sources as well as verification methods. Please note that your verified status may not be reflected immediately on your knol, as this can take up to an hour. Keep in mind that the best way to show that you are an expert on a topic is to write a great article about it! Please remember that name verification will never be 100% accurate, so you should not rely on it for anything important.

I don't want my name to be "verified" anymore

Any time you change your name in your profile by following the "Edit my Profile" link, the "verified" badge will disappear from all your knols. This is an easy way to remove it if you don't want it anymore.


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