Verified: the social life of assurance “Verified” is a performative claim. It asserts that some authority—software, manufacturer, regulator, or system administrator—has confirmed the device’s identity, integrity, or operational state. Verification can be technical: a cryptographic attestation that firmware is authentic, a checksum that matches a trusted image, or a diagnostic test that the camera meets calibration thresholds. It can also be administrative: a service ticket closed by a technician, an asset marked as inspected, or a security policy satisfied. The act of verification builds trust in automated systems: it reduces false positives in driver-assist interventions, it legitimizes recorded footage in investigations, and it reassures operators that the sensory input they rely on is accurate. But verification is not absolute; it is bounded by the scope of tests performed, the trustworthiness of certifying parties, and the social context in which the claim is accepted.