After nearly four years, Twitter is finally re-opening its public form to request verification. With the update, users will be able to submit requests for Twitter’s coveted blue check mark and confirm their identity within the app. Verification requests will be available in the service’s “account settings” over the next few weeks.
The update marks the first time Twitter has allowed users to officially request verification since it “paused” the feature in 2017 after verifying a white supremacist. Since then, the company’s continued to verify accounts, but there was no way for users to officially request it.
The result was an opaque process that left many users confused, even when the company tried to fast-track verifications for health experts last year.
But Twitter has been slowly trying to improve the process. In December, it introduced new rules for verification, including who qualifies for the checkmark and how it will evaluate accounts that apply.
The company is starting with specific categories, including journalists, brands, government officials, activists and other “notable” figures (including those in the sports and entertainment industries).
In order to meet Twitter’s requirements for the blue check, accounts must have been active for at least six months and have a “complete” profile, including a profile image, display name and confirmed email and phone number.
Users will also be required to verify their identity by sharing a copy of a government ID, or providing an official email address or link to a professional website that references their Twitter handle.
From there, a dedicated team will review the requests and decide whether or not the account should be approved (users who aren’t approved are able to re-apply after 30 days).
According to Twitter, the process should only take a few days, though it could end up being longer if the company gets a massive influx of verification requests (a likely scenario given the longtime pause).
The company also notes that its rules for verification will continue to evolve as it begins to expand the process. Following the initial rollout, Twitter will also add categories for religious leaders and academics who wish to become verified.
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Twitter also teased other changes meant to make it easier for users to identify accounts. The company is working on new labeling features for automated accounts, as well as memorialized accounts for users who have died. It’s also working on a new “about” tab for Twitter profiles that will incorporate biographical info, such as users’ location dn birthday, and a new space for pronouns.
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