If you’ve always wanted a blue checkmark next to your name on Twitter, you might get your chance next year. Twitter has announced a relaunch of its verification program in 2021, for accounts that fit specific criteria in six categories. It’s taking the time before the relaunch to get public feedback on its proposed policies, so speak up if you want your voice heard.
Initially, Twitter will open the verification program for six types of accounts: Government; Companies, Brands and Non-Profit Organizations; News; Entertainment; Sports; and Activists, Organizers, and Other Influential Individuals. Those categories may get added to in time if Twitter decides other classifications are in the public interest.
Twitter also plans to have rules about how to keep in good standing with the platform, as well as plans for removing verified status from accounts that don’t adhere to the new rules.
This reopening of the verification program will make it the first time since 2017 that you could apply to be verified. Twitter made the decision to pause the program after it verified a white supremacist, leading to a backlash of confused users over exactly what the verification program consisted of. Twitter still has been verifying accounts since then, mainly for medical experts tweeting about COVID-19, or accounts of candidates running for public office, but it has been much more limited.
Who knows, 2021 may be the year that our own Josiah Motley finally gets a blue checkmark. Maybe…
If you want to offer feedback on the draft rules for verification, you can either respond to the survey the company posted, or tweet with #VerificationFeedback.
What do you think? Is verification important on Twitter? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.
