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Twitter relaunches its public verification feature which allows everyone to apply for a blue tick

Twitter’s has announced that it is rolling out verification process which will allow users to get its coverted blue tick, right in the account settings.

The company paused the service in November 2017 after it mistakenly verified a white supremacist.

The verification process, which appears in Account Settings, requires users to tell Twitter where they are from.

It also asks for verification steps, such as a photo of a government issued ID, email address and website

Once the application is sent through, it will be reviewed by humans who determine whether to accept or reject

To be eligible, accounts must be in one of the following six categories:

  • Government
  • Companies, brands and organizations
  • News organizations and journalists
  • Entertainment
  • Sports and gaming
  • Activists, organizers, and other influential individuals

The company added that more categories will be introduced later this year, including those for scientists, academics and religious leaders.

If a user is approved, the blue check will appear automatically.

Conversely, if a user is rejected for verification, they can reapply in 30 days after receiving the rejection.

Twitter said the update is available ‘immediately,’ though cautioned that not everyone will get the feature today, rolling it out over the next few weeks.

In a blog post, the company spelled out the details of what it means to be verified.

‘The blue badge is one of the ways we help people distinguish the authenticity of accounts that are of high public interest,’ the company wrote in the post. ‘It gives people on Twitter more context about who they’re having conversations with so they can determine if it’s trustworthy, which our research has shown leads to healthier, more informed conversations.’

AfricaExplained

A writer! Columnist and an academic researcher
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