2020 has been an interesting year for the team at Twitter, but one of the newest developments is the announcement of the return of its blue check verified accounts programme.
In a blog post on 24 November, Twitter announced that it will be reprioritising its verification program. The company temporarily shelved the programme three years ago.
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Verification was previously criticised as “arbitrary” and “confusing”. The company also noted that while it meant to authenticate identity, users interpreted the blue checks as an endorsement or indicator of importance.
We're planning to relaunch verification in 2021, but first we want to hear from you.
Help us shape our approach to verification on Twitter by letting us know what you think. Take a look at our draft policy and submit your #VerificationFeedback here: https://t.co/0vmrpVtXGJ
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) November 24, 2020
The verification system will relaunch in 2021. But first, Twitter will kickstart its plans by asking for critical feedback on its newly drafted verification policies.
Twitter hopes that this feedback will help it make better judgment calls as to which users will be eligible for verification.
Verification was meant to authenticate identity & voice but it is interpreted as an endorsement or an indicator of importance. We recognize that we have created this confusion and need to resolve it. We have paused all general verifications while we work and will report back soon
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) November 9, 2017
Who will be able to get verified on Twitter?
Twitter outlined six account types that will be eligible to receive the verification badge.
These include:
- Government accounts
- Accounts representing companies, brands, and NGOs
- News outlets and organisations
- Entertainment and sports companies
- Accounts owned by activists, organisers, and other influencers.
Twitter has created a page detailing the criteria for its drafted policy. The company also says that it will add more account types to the criteria in 2021.
It has, additionally, added disqualifying criteria that will prevent an account from receiving verification.
This includes the use of bots and bought followers to inflate audience numbers. Notably, accounts associated with hateful content or harmful activity may be ineligible for verification.
Meanwhile, groups and individuals who have committed human rights violations (and found guilty by an independent commission) will be ineligible for verification. This policy will apply even if their Twitter activity doesn’t violate any platform rules.
The public feedback period runs from 24 November until 8 December, with Twitter set to publish the final policy on 17 December.
You can take part in the feedback by completing the Twitter verification survey.
If you want to Tweet your feedback, tag Twitter and use the hashtag #VerificationFeedback.
Feature image: Memeburn
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