Twitter CEO and Co Founder, Jack Dorsey addresses students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), on November 12, 2018 in New Delhi, India.
Amal KS | Hindustan Times | Getty Images
Twitter on Thursday reopened its verification application process to the public for the first time since putting it on pause in November 2017.
The company is rolling out a new process to apply for verification, which adds a checkmark to an account’s Twitter profile that signals the authenticity of an account to other users.
To apply for verification, an account must have a profile that includes a picture and a confirmed email address or phone number. The user must have been active on the service within the last six months with a record of adhering to the company’s rules.
Additionally, accounts must fall into one of six categories Twitter will consider for verification. Those categories are:
- Government
- Companies, brands and organizations
- News organizations and journalists
- Entertainment
- Sports and gaming
- Activists, organizers and other influential individuals
The company said it will add more categories, like scientists, academics and religious leaders, later this year.
The verification application will roll out gradually to users over the next few weeks. It will exist within the account settings tab of the service.
Users who are approved will see the verification icon automatically. Those who are rejected can reapply 30 days after receiving Twitter’s decision.
The new application process comes after the company paused verifications in November 2017 after receiving criticism for its decision to verify Jason Kessler. He was one of the organizers behind the August 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which resulted in the death of one woman.
