Twitter brings back public verification

If you’re one of the people who for some odd reason want to be part of the blue checkered elite on Twitter, then good news: Everyone’s favorite app for posting bad takes will bring its verification process back to the start of the year. ‘next year .

Twitter ad Tuesday that he formally intends to relaunch account verification – with a new public application process – in “early 2021”. The company suspended public audits three years ago, although thousands of accounts (including mine) have still quietly achieved check mark status in the meantime. After all this time and more than a few hiccups, Twitter decided that the relaunch should also be revamped a bit more – better defining who is verified and why, and what it takes for an account to get its blue checkmark stolen.

According to the current Rough draft Of the Verification Policy, accounts that pass the verification bar include companies or brands on Twitter, news agencies, activists, and organizers, all subject to a variety of criteria to meet verification status. He also defines what is actually a diverse category that he calls “influential individuals,” a phrase Twitter is doing its best to describe in the project as:

people who effectively use Twitter to raise awareness, share information and galvanize community members around a cause, to bring about socio-economic, political or cultural change, or to encourage the community in some other way

Twitter notes that no matter how influential any of these accounts are, if they post “mostly” content that “harasses, shames or insults” a particular person or group – based on their race , ethnicity, sexuality, etc. – they will probably not be verified. The same goes for “content that promotes the supremacy or interests of members of any group” in a way that can be read as a threat to any of the groups involved.

It was not always so clear in the past. Concrete example: in 2017, Twitter decided to check the account of Jason Kessler, organizer of the Charlottesville rally, leading to a instant play about Twitter which ignited the platform. Even if the company’s official support account later tweeted that his choice to verify a neo-Nazi’s account doesn’t amount to approving the bile that account tweeted, the truth is a lot of people seemed to take it that way.

“The verification was aimed at authenticating identity and voice, but it is interpreted as an endorsement or an indicator of importance,” Twitter wrote at the time, adding that the “confusion” surrounding the entire verification process must clearly be resolved before we can continue. At the time, Twitter said it would “be reporting soon.”

Three years, 14 days and 20 hours later, here we are.

Twitter users can take a look at the drafted proposal hereand let the company know what they think of the changes here. After taking these comments into account, the final policy is expected to be released by December 17.