"Extra Verification steps"
I know how large social media companies operate. This is all about increasing the value of Reddit users to advertisers. The goal is to have a more accurate user database to sell them.
Zuckerberg literally brags to corporations about how good their data is on users:
https://www.facebook.com/business/ads/performance-marketing
Here, Zuckerberg tells corporations that Instagram can easily manipulate users into purchasing shit:
https://www.facebook.com/business/instagram/instagram-reels
Always be wary of anything available for free.
There are some quality exceptions (CBC, VLC, The Guardian, Linux, PBS, Wikipedia, Lemmy, ProPublica) but, by and large, "free" means they don't care about you. You are just a commodity that they sell.
Facebook, Google, X, Reddit, Instagram... Their goal is keep people hooked to their smartphone by giving them regular small dopamine hits (likes, upvotes) followed by a small breaks with outrageous content/emotional content. Keep them hooked, gather their data, and sell them ads.
The people who know that best are former top executives :
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/01/business/addictive-technology.html
https://www.today.com/parents/teens/facebook-whistleblower-frances-haugen-rcna15256