Twitter Resumes Verified Account Program, Previews New 'About' Tab on Profiles

[MacRumors]

Twitter today announced it will begin rolling out a new application process for account verification, allowing for qualifying individuals like government officials, journalists, athletes, and recognizable brands to apply for verified status.

Verified accounts have a blue checkmark icon next to their Twitter name, helping people distinguish the authenticity of accounts that are of public interest.

Twitter outlined the criteria for verified accounts in a blog post:

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 our 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.

Over the next few weeks, all Twitter users will start to see the new verification application form directly in the Account Settings tab. Twitter will be gradually rolling out access to ensure that applications can be reviewed in a timely manner.

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 applications are received, according to the company. If your application is approved, you'll see the blue badge automatically on your Twitter profile. For users who feel they were wrongly denied verified status, there is an option to re-apply 30 days later.

Twitter plans to introduce more eligible verified categories later this year, such as those for scientists, academics, and religious leaders. Twitter is also researching automated accounts and plans to introduce a way to denote this account type in the next few months, with memorialized accounts to follow at some point later.

Twitter also previewed a new "About" tab coming to profiles that will allow users to share more details about themselves, including their personal pronouns, location, interests, and more, according to TechCrunch. The tab will also indicate whether the account has been "confirmed" with a verified email address or phone number.

Article Link: Twitter Resumes Verified Account Program, Previews New 'About' Tab on Profiles

 

[kenni417]

totally off-topic. look how beautiful the iPhone would be without the notch

 

[thadoggfather]

the sole perk imo is to prevent fake accounts from gaining traction of high profile people

otherwise its a modern vaporware accolade to be qualified for 'journalisming' lol

 

[ghanwani]

No twitter app for me until they solve their security issues.

 

[nutmac]

Twitter should open up verification for everyone. It could be a simple name and location verification using a nominal credit card transaction (name and ZIP code).

 

[RunawayJeff]

"Activists, organizers, and other influential individuals"

Maybe this line will actually let God (@TheTweetofGod) finally become verified!

 

[hot-gril]

the sole perk imo is to prevent fake accounts from gaining traction of high profile people

otherwise its a modern vaporware accolade to be qualified for 'journalisming' lol

And maybe to eventually expand this to all real people so bots are excluded. To put it cynically, they want what Facebook has, the value of real people's real information.

 

[ghanwani]

Somebody tell how this is a macrumors, or apple related rumors?

Twitter used what looks like an iPhone without a notch in their announcement, so I think they may be showing us the future.

 

[Macintosh IIvx]

All verified across all my Twitter accounts. It's nice to know folks.

 

[PatrickCocoa]

Not that anyone cares, but I block all verified accounts on Twitter. That seems to do a good job filtering out the snark-monsters, liars, posers, narcissists, and journalists.

Try it. Your feed will become calmer and you can get off the rage cycle.

 

[arcite]

I'm very selective about who I follow, I'd estimate over 50% are also unverified.

verification is just another 'perk' Twitter is using for monetization.

 

[Yammabot]

Talk about profiling! Do they need to know blood type?

 

[astrocramp]

Twitter should open up verification for everyone. It could be a simple name and location verification using a nominal credit card transaction (name and ZIP code).

Facebook should verify identity also like this. Half the comments of people on news posts are people with fake accounts with stock photos as profile pics. I'd block everybody who wasn't verified.

 

[LowellLvl]

‘

Twitter should open up verification for everyone. It could be a simple name and location verification using a nominal credit card transaction (name and ZIP code).

Yeah, just what Twitter needs from us next — credit card information. No, thanks.

 

[Macbookprodude]

I wish Twitter would drop dead off the face of the Earth - a piece of garbage dark side of social media and its owner should drop dead too.. what a Podonok he is.

 

[Macbookprodude]

‘

Yeah, just what Twitter needs from us next — credit card information. No, thanks.

Dude, don't do it... I agree, Twitter is draconian and I want it to just drop dead off face of earth.

 

[nutmac]

Yeah, just what Twitter needs from us next — credit card information. No, thanks.

Verification is purely optional. And you can use Apple Pay for greater privacy, which anonymizes your credit card number. Currently, Twitter verifies manually, requiring you to submit government issued ID, such as driver's license.