Twitter announces new account verification process

Twitter, US-based microblogging and social networking service, has announced new guidelines for account verification applications to enable more people get verified on the platform.

In a blog post on Thursday, the social media gaint said the applicants must be popular figures in six categories which include government, companies, brands and organisations.

Other categories include news organisations and journalists; entertainment, sports and gaming; as well as activists, organisers 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,” it read.

“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 policy as well.”

According to the company, those qualified for the listed categories are expected to submit an application which would be reviewed for approval or rejection.

“Once you submit your application, you can expect an emailed response from us within a few days, but this could take up to a few weeks depending on how many open applications are in our queue,” it added.

“If your application is approved, you’ll see the blue badge automatically on your profile. If you think we made a mistake, reapply 30 days after receiving our decision on your application.”

Twitter added that plans are also underway to introduce more categories to accommodate those not included in the extant arrangement.

“We know that the current verification policy may not represent all of the people who should be eligible to be verified on Twitter, so we’re planning to introduce more categories later this year, such as those for scientists, academics, and religious leaders,” it added.