More Celebs Show Up on Google Plus, but Which Ones are Real?

Published on ReadWriteWeb
Google's social networking service Google Plus is so new that it currently lacks a verification system for user accounts. This isn't a big deal for most users, of course, but it can be an issue when someone famous signs up, be it Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg or a Hollywood celebrity. Currently, there is not a Google-supported way for them to prove it's actually them.

But as early adopter Alyssa Milano found out, there's always Twitter. Milano has been tweeting her thoughts about Google Plus (cooler than Facebook, not as cool as Twitter), and even tweeted a direct link to her profile page. That will work for now, but it's clear that an official process will be needed soon, especially considering the number of "celebrity" accounts we've uncovered lately.

No Verification System Yet

Earlier this week, Google Plus ads lead Christian Oestlien replied to my question about whether it was the "real" Alyssa Milano or a clever fake, saying that her account was legit. But when asked what the process was for the confirmation, he replied that there wasn't one yet.

This isn't the first time that we've run into the problem, despite the social network's extremely young age. (It's barely more than a week old!)

For example, when Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg showed up, no one knew if that was really him until tech blogger Robert Scoble texted Zuckerberg personally to confirm.

Who's Really Here?

And now other celebrities are appearing too, including Mark Cuban, Soulja Boy, Michael Dell, Ashton Kutcher, Kayne West and the aforementioned Milano. Then there are the celebs who aren't participating yet, but show up in search, like Justin Timberlake and Sarah Palin. And there are the ones you just wonder about - like, is that the real Lady Gaga, for example? And if so, why is she only following this guy? Looks suspicious.

And what about Britney Spears? Angelina Jolie? Miley Cyrus? Selena Gomez? Justin Beiber? And, oh c'mon, Harry freakin' Potter? Well, that one is probably fake. Jesus Christ!

While it's understandable that a verification system was not at the forefront of Google's mind when preparing to launch the network, it looks like one is desperately needed now. We want to be able to tell the real stars from the fakes, so we're not wasting our time. Or even better - maybe there should be a way for the fakes to never exist in the first place.