Twitter opens its Verification Service for Public

Last week, we at OnlyTech had reported that Twitter could be reopening its Account Verification service for the public. Twitter has announced that it has begun accepting public applications from users who wish to get themselves verified on the social network. Users will soon be able to submit a request for verifying their accounts directly from their account settings screen.

Applying for verification for the public had remained closed since 2017. At that time, Twitter had mentioned that they had to close public applications due to a perception that a verified badge created of that of an endorsement. Inspite of this, Twitter continued to verify profiles on a case-by-case basis despite locking the process for the general public.

Last year, Twitter had announced that it will reopen the public verification program this year, and now the new program is rolling out.

What is ‘Verified’?

A verified account is one which shows that the high public interest in that account is authentic. Regardless of how much reputable an account is outside Twitter, the verified badge can be revoked for violating Twitter’s rules and regulations repeatedly.

To become verified on Twitter, a profile must fit into one of these six categories:

• Government
• Companies, brands and organizations
• News organizations and journalists
• Entertainment
• Sports and gaming
• Activists, organizers, and other influential individuals

Apart from meeting one of these six categories, the profile must have been active on Twitter within the last six months from applying for verification, have a complete profile, and must confirm their mobile number and email address on their account.

Apart from that, Twitter can also revoke the Verified status, if the account becomes inactive. It makes sense for Twitter’s Verified badge to have quality accounts which post. The status can also be revoked if somehow the profile deletes some description about the account, or the person is no longer in the position which initially made them eligible for verification. Apart from severe violations committed – that can also result in an immediate suspension – any attempt made by the account to impersonate or mislead users by changing display name or bio can also lead to revoking the verified status from their profile.

Anyone will be able to apply for verification on Twitter over the next few weeks from the Twitter app’s Account Settings tab or from the website under the same setting. While some of us here at OnlyTech are able to see the option on website, the rest of us are not able to. The most likely explanation for this can be that the feature is gradually rolling out, hence it might take some time to show up. With this, the social network can ensure all applications are dealt with in a proper way and verification is only given to proper accounts.

Once an application is submitted, Twitter says users can expect a response in a few days to a few weeks. If an application is approved, the blue badge will be automatically applied to the user’s profile. Twitter has also mentioned that it plans to add more categories to the eligibility list later this year, such as scientists, academics, and religious leaders.