Twitter Verification Procedure for Blue Ticks Restarts Today: Who is Eligible, How to Apply and More

Twitter’s verification procedure that puts a Blue Tick on notable users’ profiles has resumed after a three-year halt. The process kick-started earlier today, and the micro-blogging site has shared a detailed information over who is eligible, and most importantly, how to get the Blue Tick on your profile. Twitter stopped verifying public accounts since November 2017, saying that the badge had caused a perception problem with them. Critics viewed the badge as an endorsement of some individuals by Twitter and the company was accused of being biased in terms of giving out the exclusive label.

Twitter says that the Blue Tick on the profile lets people know that an account of public interest is authentic. “To receive the blue badge, your account must be authentic, notable, and active,” the social media giant explains. The company has also announced that people under six different categories are eligible to get the badge. Moreover, existing verified accounts are too at risk of losing the special mark if they change the account name or been inactive for quite some time.

Who can get verified on Twitter: There are six types of notable accounts that Twitter says are eligible for the Blue Tick. These include Government, Companies (brands and non-profit organisations), News Organisations (including journalists), Entertainment, Sports (including esports), Activists and other influential individuals.

How Twitter describes each category and what they need to do: The micro-blogging company says that government officials such as heads of state, elected officials, appointed ministers, institutional entities, ambassadors, and official spokespeople are eligible for the Blue Tick. Official candidates for state or national-level public office may also be verified in certain countries. To qualify, there must be a public reference to the account on an official government or party site or publication with multiple references in news media (within six of applying). Official accounts of public utilities and other services may also be verified, as may people in leadership positions and official spokespeople.

If a company or a brand wants to the blue badge on their Twitter profile, the entity must meet two critical requirements. First, presence in public indices, including public stock exchanges, stable Wikipedia articles that meet the encyclopedia’s notability standards, and databases such as GlobalGiving. The account must also have a follower count in the top .1 per cent of active accounts located in the same geographic region.

Additionally, any official accounts of qualifying news organisations, as well as individual accounts of journalists employed by qualifying organisations can get verified. These organisations need to be recognised  by government bodies and adhere to recognised professional standards for journalism, laid out by the Society of Professional Journalists, Independent Press Standards Organisation, and International Federation of Journalists. Independent or freelance journalists may be verified if they can provide at least three bylines or credits in qualifying publications, published within the six months prior to applying.

Accounts of major entertainment companies and film or music studios (even event organisers) are eligible for the verification process. In order to get verified, the label must have a connection to a verified organisation and the website associated with the production house includes a link to the profile. Actors or other professionals (comedians, agents) from the industry must ensure three or more featured references or have five production credits on their IMDB profile. They can also provide their website link for the verification process.

Sports personalities and team accounts listed on the official team website or in sports data services such as Sportradar may be verified, as well. Upcoming athletes participating in global competitions such as the Olympics and Paralympics can get verified too. Twitter says that the platform will not give a Blue Tick logo on amateur athletes’ profile unless they meet the criteria for influential individuals (explained below). Accounts of professional esports leagues, teams, and coaches listed on the official team website or who have three or more featured references in news outlets such as Kotaku, Polygon, or IGN may be verified. References on publication sites must not be older than six months.

Outside the professional categories, people who use Twitter effectively to bring awareness, share information, and “galvanise community members” around a cause can get the blue tick. Accounts of such individuals must ensure healthy activity (tweets, likes, and more) in the last six months, and generally abide by the Twitter Rules. For off Twitter notability, the individual must feature on Google Trends with evidence of recent search activity. A stable Wikipedia article about them that meets the encyclopedia’s notability standards for people can also be used for verification. Similarly, references in news publications will count as well.

How to enroll for Twitter Blue Tick: Twitter says that it will soon be relaunching the self-serve application portal for the public to apply for verification in 2021. The company is yet to share the link but claims it would come up in a few weeks. The verification procedure from the company’s end starts today.

Can I request to remove my verified badge: Twitter claims it is not currently possible to request to remove your verified badge. Similarly, other users cannot request for the removal of the Blue Tick on someone else’s profile. However, users can always report in case they feel that an account is violating Twitter’s rules and guidelines.

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