Twitter to launch new ‘blue tick’ verification policy on January 20, 2021

Twitter will launch its new blue tick verification policy on January 20, 2021. The new policy is said to be built taking into account inputs from tens of thousands of users. The new verification process in which the badges will be removed from inactive accounts or that which does not meet new requirements will take effect from January 20th.

Application process for the new verification model will open at some point in early 2021. Users waiting to apply hence will have to wait a little longer until another formal announcement.

The micro-blogging site hit pause on the verification application process in November 2017, following users’ outcry to verify the account of a protestor Jason Kessler. The company announced that it was working on “a new authentication and verification” process. It also started reviewing the verified accounts that violated Twitter rules.

The new verification policy will require more lax profile information and other requirements to be eligible for verification but more defined and granular categories for verification badges. A verified account can also lose its blue tick if inactive or violates Twitter’s policies. The new categories that will be recognized by Twitter with new verification policies are companies, brands, media outlets, journalists, entertainment figures, sports-related accounts and of course government officials whom Twitter has already been verifying on a case-to-case basis even when the official process stopped. There will also be a broad “activist, organizer and other influential individuals” category. Over time the list of categories will expand.

Twitter is also planning to automatically remove the verified badge from inactive accounts and memorialize the accounts of deceased users. There will be a new application flow to apply for the memorialization of an account. In near future, Twitter also will roll out labels to differentiate between human-run accounts and bot accounts.

Human run accounts with a verified email address, phone number, display name and profile page that makes changes in accordance with new Twitter norms will not lose their verification badge. The social media platform will also alert users that they are at risk of losing their badge if not made the required changes.

Twitter in its blog post also mentioned that it reserved the right to remove verification of accounts that had violated Twitter rules several times. Such accounts will be evaluated and made improvements on a case-by-case basis.

The notification for a new “self-serve application” verified on Twitter will be released within the app in early 2021 where applicants have to select a category they belong to and confirm their identity. The applicant accounts will be reviewed by both humans and an automated system, Twitter further informed.