How verification works

Verification here is one thing, checked by one person, and it is the whole of our trust claim. We say "verified" and we mean the identity check. Nobody on this platform is described as pre-screened or approved for quality, because we do not assess anybody's work.

What a reviewer does

A freelancer uploads a photograph of a government ID and a photograph of themselves holding it. Somebody on our side opens both and answers one question: is this the person this profile says it is. They approve it or they turn it down, and a turned-down submission is told why, so it can be done again properly.

All five checks have to be confirmed before a profile is marked verified. The face on the ID is the face in the selfie, the document looks intact and unedited, the name matches the profile, the date of birth matches, and the document has not expired. A reviewer who cannot confirm all five cannot verify; what is recorded is which of the five they confirmed, and nothing off the document itself.

The date of birth on the document is part of that. This platform is for adults, so an ID showing the holder is under 18 is not verified and the account it belongs to is not eligible.

What happens when it passes

• The profile carries a verified mark, and the words next to it, on the profile itself.
• The freelancer's name, date of birth and gender lock. Nothing else does: a photo, an address, a phone number and everything about the work stay editable for ever. The lock exists so that a verified name cannot be changed after it was verified, which is why it happens at the review rather than at publication.