Twitter has launched a new mechanism with which you will be able to apply to get your Twitter account verified. The move will likely increase the total number of users with a “blue badge” verified icon. While the service is available in the US, it will be rolled out globally by the end of this week.
Commenting on the development, Tina Bhatnagar, Twitter’s vice president of user services revealed that the company would like to simplify the search to keep track of creators and influencers on Twitter. Hence, it makes great sense for them to enable authentic people to nominate their Twitter handles for verification themselves without depending upon automated process. Moreover, normal users will be able to identify and recognize public figures, media houses, companies and other organizations as authentic before establishing contact with them.
If you have an active Twitter account, you can apply to get your account verified by visiting “Request to Verify” page on the Twitter help center. Initially, you will be shown a page where you can read important content pertaining to account verification.
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Before you apply for the verification process, you need to make sure that you have provided a verified phone number, e-mail address, bio, profile & header image, birthday (for individuals), website URL including enabling of your tweets as public in Twitter Privacy settings.
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However, if you are an individual, Twitter will ask you why your account needs to be verified. The company will also make an attempt to understand their impact you have made in the respective field. If your account doesn’t fulfill the rules outlined by Twitter, you will view the following message
In the released definition as to who will be eligible for approval, Twitter still claims that an account may be verified and tagged with a blue badge if the team determines that it is of public interest. Earlier, Twitter had marked only those accounts belonging to public figures, brands, and people in media, politics, cinema, sports, business, and other high-profile sectors via a global algorithm.
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Initially introduced in 2009, Twitter has so far 1,87,000 verified accounts from a wide range of notable users in music, TV, film, fashion, government, politics, religion, media, sports and business. If the account is verified it will boost the relevant user to fetch more followers since people will think that a user is a credible person in the field.
In India, some of the verified Twitter handles of popular personalities comprise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shashi Tharoor, film actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Mohanlal and media houses like NDTV and Times Now. If you look at the profiles of verified users, you will be able to know that they will only follow fewer people but will have more followers.
