Anyone familiar with Twitter will recognize the blue check, which lets them know that an account has been verified and is authentic. Celebrities, athletes and journalists are usually verified by Twitter to let users know that these accounts are real.
Blue checks can be especially important in identifying the legitimacy of accounts that follow many people or accounts that have large platforms, especially those of politicians or government agencies.
However, if you want to be verified, it won’t be easy. You will need to follow a few steps before you can receive your blue check.
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How to get verified on Twitter
To get the blue check on Twitter, your account must meet three criteria. It must be “authentic, visible and active”, according to Twitter.
The first step in the process is to confirm your identity. According to Twitter, this can be done using one of the following three methods.
- Official Website: You must provide a website link that references you (or your organization) along with your Twitter account. The organization must also be verified on Twitter.
- Identity Verification: Individuals can provide a photograph of “A valid official government-issued identification document.” This includes passports and driver’s licenses. This method does not apply to brands, companies or organizations, only to individuals.
- Official Email Address: Provide an official email address that has a domain “related to the featured category you choose.” For individuals using this method, the organization associated with the domain must already be verified.
In addition to confirming an individual’s identity, Twitter also verifies accounts based on some obvious criteria.
- News Coverage: Users can provide new articles from verified media organizations that relate to themselves or their organization. Articles can also reference them or their organization, but must do so multiple times. Self-published content or articles from blogs may not be used. You may also be asked to submit an article that includes a link to your organization’s Twitter handle.
- Google Trends: Users can provide a link in their Google Trends profile that describes a search history related to the category they are applying to be verified with.
- Wikipedia: Users can provide a link to a “standing Wikipedia article” about themselves or their organization “that meets the encyclopedia’s standards of distinctiveness.”
- Other Industry-Specific References: Users, depending on the category they are applying for, may be required to submit more “industry-specific references”. For users in the entertainment industry, this may include a link to an IMDb page.
- Number of Followers or Mentions: Users who are in the top 0.05% of mentions or number of followers in their geographic area may be able to use it for “prominent evidence” in some categories.
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Users who wish to be verified must also be active on Twitter and have respected the following rules:
- Complete: Your account has a profile picture and name
- Active use: Your account must be public when you apply to be verified. You must also have logged into your account within the last six months.
- Security: Your account must have a confirmed phone number or email address
- Twitter Rules: In the last 12 months, your account cannot have had a 12-hour or seven-day ban for violating any of Twitter’s rules. This does not include users who successfully appealed a lockout.
According to Twitter, categories for verification include:
- government
- News organizations and individuals in the news
- Companies, brands and organizations
- fun
- Sports and games
- Activists and organizers
- Content creators and other influential individuals
Can Twitter remove a verified status?
According to Twitter, in accordance with the Twitter Terms of Service, they may remove verified status at any time and without notice. This can occur as a result of the following, including but not limited to:
- Changes made to an account handle
- Accounts that become incomplete or inactive
- Individuals who are longer in the position they were in when they were verified, such as former elected officials who do not meet Twitter’s verification criteria may have their blue check removed.
- If there are changes to an account that are fraudulent or “or substantially alter the character present” in the account
- If changes to an account result in failure to meet eligibility requirements for verification
- If changes to an account cause an individual to fall under any category in the “Ineligible accounts” section of Twitter’s verification guide
Twitter may also remove verification status from accounts that are in repeated or serious violations of the Twitter Rules. According to Twitter, “Any violation of the Twitter Terms of Service or the Twitter Rules, tampering with Twitter processes, or circumventing enforcement actions may result in loss of the badge or, in certain cases, suspension.”
This includes:
- Imitation
- Deliberately deceiving people on Twitter by changing your display name, bio, banner image and/or profile image.
- Serious violations resulting in immediate account suspension.
- Repeat Tweet policy violations, including but not limited to:
- Hate behavior
- Abusive behavior
- Glorification of violence
- Civic integrity
- Private information
- Platform manipulation and spam
According to Twitter, the removal of verification due to repeated violations is not automatic and is instead “assessed on a case-by-case basis.”
Can any Twitter account be verified?
Not all accounts are eligible to be verified by Twitter. Regardless of whether they meet Twitter’s verification criteria, the following accounts are not eligible for blue checks:
- Unofficial fan accounts
- Parody accounts
- Commenting accounts
- Accounts for animals or pets, unless they are affiliated with a brand, company or organization that has been verified.
- Accounts that have engaged in “serious” violations of Twitter’s platform manipulation and spam policy. This included accounts that buy and sell followers.
- “Accounts that routinely post content that harasses, embarrasses, or offends any individual or group.”
- Accounts that promote the sale of blue checks
