After more than three years, Twitter is relaunching its account certification process, which makes it possible to better identify a user’s official account. The blue badge is back and Twitter hopes to limit the fakes.
Twitter: the return of certified accounts
In November 2017, Twitter suspended its verification program (blue badges) after a controversy related to the certification of the account of a white American supremacist. The social network then explained that it would work on an attribution of the famous badges more clear and understandable by the users of the social network. It took a little over three years for Twitter to update this verification program. On May 20, 2021, the social network announced its comeback, in particular through a page to understand the eligibility criteria.
Twitter explains that it took its time to strengthen its overall strategy aimed at “give more transparency, credibility and clarity to certification“. It was not uncommon to see many certified accounts without real interest, without their status justifying it. Because being certified has real significance for Twitter.
« The blue badge is one of the ways we use to help people distinguish the authenticity of public interest accounts.», Explains the company. Far from being a distinctive sign for the account holder, certification would then allow users to be sure that the person with whom they are chatting, or whose comments they are following, are reliable.
Twitter: new conditions to obtain the blue badge
To have a certified account, it must be in one of the categories below:
- Government,
- Companies, brands and organizations,
- Press organizations and journalists,
- Entertainment,
- Sports et gaming,
- Activists, organizers and other influential people.
In addition, to have your account certified, Twitter requires you to have a complete profile that displays:
- a profile name,
- a profile picture,
- a confirmed email address or phone number.
Finally, it will also be necessary to show an active profile during the last 6 months and, of course, to have respected the rules of use of the social network.
The introduction of new categories and types of accounts
Twitter plans to introduce new categories to open up certification to more people by the end of the year. Indeed, scientists, academics and religious leaders will benefit from dedicated categories.
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