Twitter will re-launch its long-awaited verification program next week, according to researcher Jane Manchum Wong.
Twitter verification has been a mainstay of the social media platform since 2009. A blue checkmark by a user's name indicates that they are verified, helping observers to distinguish genuine notable account holders, such as celebrities, politicians, or organizations, from impostors or parodies, and proves that the account is actually owned by the person or organization it claims to represent.
Wong explained that "multiple sources" have said that Twitter will launch its new Verification Request form as soon as next week, allowing unverified users to put themselves forward for the blue checkmark.
Earlier this month, Wong revealed images purporting to show the stages of Twitter's redesigned Verification Request form. Users will need to explain who they are, give account qualifications such as news coverage, provide identification, and wait for a response.
I was told by multiple sources that Twitter plans to launch the new self-served Verification Request form next week https://t.co/vI4q63WwJe — Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) May 13, 2021
Twitter originally reached out to notable users themselves to confirm their identities for a verified badge and launched a verification request system in 2017. Later that year, Twitter suspended the verification program after a number of controversies and an inability to cope with the volume of requests, leaving no official way for users to put themselves forward for verification.
Unverified Twitter users have had to wait years for the company to re-launch its verification program after it was suspended. In November of last year, the company announced that it would start reviewing applications for verification in early 2021 under new guidelines.
To be eligible for verification, users must be both "notable" and "active." Notable users must fall under the category of "government," "companies, brands, and organizations," "news organizations and journalists," "entertainment," "sports and gaming," or "activists, organizers, and other influential individuals."
