Twitter is letting anyone apply for verification for the first time since 2017, allowing anyone to apply for a coveted blue check mark.
The company also previewed potential changes coming to profiles and the upcoming label for automated accounts.
To make the grade for verification, users will have to meet Twitter’s revamped verification criteria, which includes having an account of public interest that falls under one of six different types of categorizations as well as being “authentic, notable, and active.”
Here are the six categories of accounts that can qualify for verification:
Government
Companies, brands and organizations
News organizations and journalists
Entertainment
Sports and gaming
Activists, organizers, and other influential individuals
You’ll be able to apply for verification in the Account Settings tab at some point “over the next few weeks.” Once you’ve applied, Twitter says you can expect a response “within a few days,” but that timeline could open up to a few weeks depending on the volume of applications. All applications will be evaluated by humans,
If you’re approved for verification, the blue checkmark badge will appear on your profile automatically. If Twitter doesn’t approve your application and you still think you qualify for verification, you can reapply within 30 days of the company’s decision.
The original verification program was launched by Twitter in 2009 as a way of verifying the identities of high-profile users “at risk of impersonation.”
When the public application program was paused in 2017, Twitter attempted to clarify its rules about which accounts are eligible for verification. A new verification policy was introduced in January 2021 with the six categories of accounts listed above that are eligible for verification.
As per the January 2021 rules, accounts must have a verified email address or phone number, a profile image, and a display name to be eligible. Accounts may also lose their badge for “severe or repeated violations” of Twitter’s rules.
Alongside the new verification application, Twitter is also previewing changes it’s considering to profiles, including the addition of an About tab.
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