Twitter is planning to launch a new application process for account
verification, which will allow qualifying individuals like government
officials, journalists, athletes, and recognizable brands to apply for the verified
account status.
Verified accounts on Twitter have a blue badge icon displayed
next to their Twitter name. To qualify for verification, Twitter has outlined criteria
consisting of six categories: Government, Companies, brands and organizations, News
organizations and journalists, Entertainment, Sports and gaming, Activists,
organizers, and other influential individuals.
Qualifying individuals will also be required to have a complete account with a profile name, a profile image and either a confirmed email address or phone number. In addition to that, their account must be active within the last six months and have a record of adherence to Twitter’s policies in order to be verified.
According to Twitter, users will receive an emailed response
from Twitter within a few days following the submission of their application. Moreover,
depending on the number of applications received, the response could take up to
a few weeks. Once the application is approved, the user’s Twitter profile will
automatically start showing the blue badge.
There will also be an option to re-apply after 30 days, in
case a user believes that they were wrongly denied verified status.
Twitter’s new verification application will be accessible to
users over the next few weeks and can be found in the account settings tab. To ensure
a timely review of all the applications, the access will be rolled out
gradually.
Twitter also announced that it will add more eligible categories
for verified account later this year. These would include scientists,
academics, and religious leaders.
