This is a sore spot.
I have been attempting to get Twitter Verification for… oh, I dunno. It feels like a long time.
A couple years back, the only way to get the cherished blue checkmark was to be some kind of a celebrity–a rock star, a movie actor, an author, etc. When clients asked me how they could get their accounts verified, my response was usually “good luck!”
But then, in an attempt to make things more democratic and transparent, Twitter created a process for applying for verification. It was a simple, three-step process. You had to complete a checklist of things first, and they included:
- A verified phone number
- A confirmed email address
- A bio
- A profile photo
- A header photo
- A birthday (for accounts that are not company, brand, or organization accounts)
- A website
- Tweets set as public in Tweet privacy settings
- Login verification
Fair enough. After you’d completed this, you then filled out a form to explain why your account should be verified, reflecting your impact in your field. You were also asked to supply Twitter with URLs to back up your claim.
I did this multiple times, and every time I was rejected. But here’s the kicker–you’re not given a reason why you’re rejected, so every time I’m just guessing at what Twitter wants from me.
During this time, there were also many reports of shady dealings at Twitter. Employees who had the ability to affect who got verified by Twitter were paid money under the table or offered gifts for these “services.” Yeah. It’s a big mess.
Last week, Twitter finally announced that it’s making some changes. They temporarily suspended twitter verifications, and were re-organizing the process.
4 / We're working on a new authentication and verification program. In the meantime, we are not accepting any public submissions for verification and have introduced new guidelines for the program. https://t.co/j6P0HGXIVq
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) November 15, 2017
In addition, they are yanking the verification of some accounts, based on these new criteria.
5 / We are conducting an initial review of verified accounts and will remove verification from accounts whose behavior does not fall within these new guidelines. We will continue to review and take action as we work towards a new program we are proud of.
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) November 15, 2017
This is partly in response to an outcry on Twitter protesting a number of alt-right accounts that had been verified (and now are not).
At this moment, the Twitter Verification process hasn’t changed at all (at least to the outside observer). I’m assuming Twitter is making some changes on their end. I have no idea if this will help or hinder my efforts to get that little blue checkmark.
I do know, however, that this is just another symptom of what’s happening at Twitter, at how they are floundering in the current market. The recent decision, for example, to expand the 140 character limit to 280, is another. It feels like Twitter is focusing on cosmetic changes, rather than real changes that will improve the network, like the ability to edit tweets, or shutting down hate speech or trolls.
Hopefully this is a step in the right direction for Twitter. And I hope they don’t read this, because it might affect whether or not they choose to verify me!
Have you been verified by Twitter? Share how you did it in the comments below.