Problem: Platforms give verification badges to automated bot accounts that are not real people and thus cannot sign mobile contracts. This leads to confusion and misleading of users and questions the authenticity of actually verified accounts.

Proposed solution: Platforms should have clear and transparent policies for awarding verification badges and ensure that only real people with a mobile contract are verified. Clear distinctions should be made between real people and automated bot accounts, e.g. by using different symbols or colours for verification badges.

Platforms should also ensure that automated bot accounts cannot be confused with verified accounts. One possibility would be to use unique names or identifiers for bot accounts that differ from real user names.

Another important point is to educate users about the differences between real people and automated bot accounts and about the verification criteria. Platforms should inform users about how verification badges are awarded and what requirements must be met in order to be verified.

Finally, platforms should ensure that the awarding of verification badges is regularly reviewed to ensure that they are only awarded to genuine individuals with a mobile contract. If automated bot accounts are verified despite all measures, platforms should act quickly and revoke the verification.

in conclusion, it remains completely unclear for the user and for streamers whether a verified account is a real person, because it is already clear that bot accounts can also receive a certified badge via a mobile phone number. Thus, the entire concept is completely misguided and loses the basic principle of trust.