“Verified Pages belong to a small group of prominent public figures (celebrities, journalists, government officials, popular brands and businesses) with large audiences,” Facebook explained in their statement. “This update is rolling out to profiles as well.”

As techhive.com noted in their reaction to the news, the verified pages seem to be a thinly-veiled attempt by Facebook to duplicate something that was, until today, unique to Twitter. The difference is that, on Twitter, the check marks actually serve a practical use: where Facebook generally does a good job of cutting down fake accounts before they gain any notable following, Twitter is rife with fan pages and fake feeds. Where almost all bands and actors have had official Facebook pages for years, not all have yet made the jump to Twitter. In that case, the blue check marks act as an official designation or endorsement for legitimate profiles. On Facebook, it’s much more difficult not only to create a fake account, but also to make one appear as professional or carefully updated as an official page.

As is the case with Twitter, Facebook users will not be able to request verification, meaning that “VIP” status is essentially reserved for celebrities or big-name public officials. On Twitter, that distinction makes sense: for many, the site operates as a customized news feed for what is happening in the world, the entertainment circle, or even in the realm of celebrity gossip. But since Facebook was initially founded solely as a social network–a network exclusive to college students, at that–this new obsession with celebrity status rings a bit hollow.