To assist in an emergency, search or rescue situation, and to avoid duplicate, hoax, fake, or scam profiles, you are required to provide your real legal name and personal details (as in your passport). These details are not shared or visible to anyone without your approval.
All members can have their Personal Identity Verified securely, and will then display the PIV icon on their profile. However, the PIV is optional.
The Personal Identity Verification adds trust and credibility to a member, and is of great benefit in case the Coast Guard contacts us to establish the whereabouts of a missing crew or boat, and other crew who might be on the same vessel.
For example, someone only using the nickname 'Sunshine' in their profile can create a lot of unnecessary anxiety if we need to contact family and friends to find out if that could be the missing person.
We may request further verification, lock or blacklist accounts without notice if they are suspected of providing false or insufficient details.