Relaunching of verification on Twitter and what’s next

Twitter is excited to share that starting today, it will begin rolling out the new verification application process and reviewing public applications for verification on Twitter.

Over the past several months, Twitter has been working to bring clarity to the verification eligibility criteria and launched a new policy shaped by public feedback. They also started enforcing that policy by automatically removing the verified badge from accounts that no longer meet the updated criteria for verification, such as those that are inactive or incomplete. They are grateful for all who participated in their public feedback period and shared ideas for how they can improve verification on Twitter.

Today’s application rollout marks the next milestone in their plans to give more transparency, credibility, and clarity to verification on Twitter. Below, Twitter will share more about this application process and what’s next in their work to help people understand who they’re interacting with on Twitter.

What it means to be verified on Twitter
The blue badge is one of the ways Twitter can help people distinguish the authenticity of accounts that are of high public interest. It gives people on Twitter more context about who they’re having conversations with so they can determine if it’s trustworthy, which their research has shown leads to healthier, more informed conversations.

With today’s application launch, Twitter also introducing new guidelines for verified accounts on Twitter. These verification guidelines are intended to encourage healthy conversations for the betterment of the Twitter community overall. They follow the philosophy to lead by example, Tweet others how they want to be Tweeted, and serve the public conversation authentically, respectfully and with consideration. As always, all accounts, including verified accounts, must follow the Twitter Rules. And as they previously shared, verified accounts that repeatedly violate the Twitter Rules are subject to have the blue badge removed.

Who’s eligible?
To qualify for verification, you must fit the criteria of one of the six categories listed below:

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

In addition to the category-specific eligibility criteria outlined in their verification policy, your account must be complete, meaning you have a profile name, a profile image and either a confirmed email address or phone number. Your account must also be active within the last six months and have a record of adherence to the Twitter Rules. You can read more about ineligible accounts in the verification policy as well.

How can you apply to get verified?
Over the next few weeks, everyone on Twitter will start to see the new verification application directly in the Account Settings tab. If you don’t see this update immediately today, don’t worry! Twitter is gradually rolling it out to everyone to ensure that they can review applications in a timely manner.

Here’s what the application flow will look like:

Once you submit your application, you can expect an emailed response from Twitter within a few days, but this could take up to a few weeks depending on how many open applications are in their queue. If your application is approved, you’ll see the blue badge automatically on your profile. If you think they made a mistake, reapply 30 days after receiving their decision on your application.

What’s next
Twitter knows that the current verification policy may not represent all of the people who should be eligible to be verified on Twitter, so they are planning to introduce more categories later this year, such as for scientists, academics, and religious leaders. To stay up-to-date with verification, be sure to follow @Verified.

They are also excited to continue expanding the ways people can express themselves on Twitter through their profile and launching new account types. Since their last update, they have been doing ongoing research on automated accounts and plan to introduce this account type in the next few months, with memorialized accounts to follow. They are also exploring improvements to the Twitter profile to allow people to better express themselves, such as through an About page. Twitter will share more on all of this soon!