News

Twitter is working on a new way to give you that sweet blue verified checkmark

Verify everyone.

by
Joe Rice-Jones
June 9, 2020

Image: KnowTechie

If you don’t already have one of those sweet blue Verified checkmarks on Twitter, you might get your chance soon. Code wrangler and serial leaker, Jane Manchun Wong tweeted about a new find on Sunday – a new section in the Personal Information section of Twitter’s settings that suggests you’ll soon be able to request verification of your account.

Twitter confirmed the development of the new feature, with product lead Kayvon Beykpour saying that the company is “working on incorporating self-service identification.” Twitter used to have a verification process for showing that “an account of public interest was authentic,” but put it on hold in 2017 after it somehow verified an alt-right provocateur.

https://twitter.com/wongmjane/status/1269586202606235648

With the new process coming, maybe Twitter will use this to stamp out the hordes of bot accounts that amplify everything from coronavirus misinformation to elections. I mean, if you have to be verified on the platform, that should reduce the fake accounts, even if it won’t altogether remove them all.

Will Twitter still have the same requirements for getting verified? Back when it was running, the process was fairly involved, needing personal identification to be uploaded, as well as a mini-essay stating your case for deserving a verified checkmark. With misinformation running riot, surely verifying human-owned accounts is “in the public interest.” Your move, Twitter.

Do you think this will make the vetting process easier? Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.