Twitter’s blue check mark is now public.
Twitter unveiled the online application process via an announcement in the company’s blog and press release on Tuesday. Badge applicants will be required to provide a verified phone number, email address, website and additional information regarding why verification is required or helpful.
In the early years of the popular micro-blogging site, creating a fake account and pretending to be a popular celebrity was too easy. The verification badge helped eliminate the “posers” significantly.
In the Twitterverse, having a verified account not only establishes a user’s identity but also signifies a person’s celebrity status. Kind of.
Previously qualified accounts were those “maintained by public figures and organizations in music, TV, film, fashion, government, politics, religion, journalism, media, sports, business and other key interest areas,” according to Twitter. Out of its 320 million monthly users, only around 187,000 are currently verified.
An added benefit of being a verified user is having the ability to filter tweets from those who aren’t verified, allowing the user to block out the unwanted anonymous noise if necessary.
While the company has opened its doors for applications, it would still be up to Twitter to confirm the request for the badge. Twitter provides a simple criteria in its selection process: “an account may be verified if it is determined to be of public interest.”
“We want to make it even easier for people to find creators and influencers on Twitter so it makes sense for us to let people apply for verification,” said Tina Bhatnagar, Twitter’s vice president of User Services said in a press statement.
“We hope opening up this application process results in more people finding great, high-quality accounts to follow, and for these creators and influencers to connect with a broader audience.”
